Lakers star LeBron James has not been shy about hopes to one day play with his son Bronny in the NBA.
With Bronny’s freshman season at USC underway, that dream could soon become a reality. Not everyone believes LeBron’s dream is in Bronny’s best interest, though.
Former NBA player Austin Rivers spoke out on the topic on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Monday. Rivers brings relevant experience to the table, as he played under his own father, head coach Doc Rivers, for three and a half of his 11 NBA seasons
The Clippers traded for Austin Rivers during his third NBA season, and then he signed a two-year, $ 6.5 million contract with a player option that offseason. After one year of playing for his dad in Los Angeles, he elected to decline his player option so the Clippers could sign him to a sizable three-year, $ 35.5 million contract.
That deal brought with it plenty of criticism, especially as it came from the franchise that also employed his father.
Austin Rivers compared his situation to what Bronny might experience playing alongside LeBron.
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“I don’t want to see Bronny play with his dad. I really don’t,” Rivers said. “I went through something similar. … What happens is a lot of people begin to discredit what you’ve done.
“… I don’t want that negativity to come his way because he doesn’t deserve it,” Rivers continued. “He’s not a top-10 pick, he’s not a lottery pick, he’s none of those things. I was all of those things. And when I went to the Clippers people were still like, ‘You’re only in the league because of your dad’ after me being the No. 1 player in the United States two years prior.
“… It just would be a lot, man. I hope he can play somewhere he can etch out his own identity. … I’m a fan of Bronny. I really am. I just hope he can go somewhere else.”
“I don’t want to see Bronny play with [LeBron]… Him getting drafted & playing with his dad, I don’t want that negativity to come his way. He doesn’t deserve it… [He needs to] play somewhere where he can niche out his own identity.”
– Austin Riverspic.twitter.com/GwBK2C4GOl
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 5, 2024
Rivers has a point. A former five-star recruit and No. 1 player in the country, he went on to star at Duke. Rivers averaged 15.5 points per game as a freshman, earning All-ACC First Team and ACC Rookie of the Year honors. The Pelicans ended up selecting him No. 10 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Bronny, on the other hand, entered college as a four-star recruit. The start of his freshman season was derailed by a heart issue, but he has averaged just 5.9 points and 2.6 assists per game upon his return.
He’s not projected to be a top-10 pick, and he may not even be a one-and-done prospect. But if he does turn pro — and gets drafted by the same team as LeBron — the haters will be waiting for the opportunity to say he only got picked because of his father.
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Even with that reasoning, some observers didn’t like Rivers comparing his situation to that of the son of arguably the greatest player in NBA history.
Former NBA champion Stephen Jackson did not pull any punches when he voiced his opinion in the @sidelinesources Instagram comment section, stating in one comment: “Difference is you trash, Bronny not. You can’t compare to him scrub.”
In another comment, Jackson added: “And your daddy not LeBron. Shut up.”
Jackson’s pointed comments aside, both sides of the argument hold weight. It would be undeniably cool to see Bronny and LeBron team up in the NBA. But it would also be validating for James’ eldest son to carve his own path in the league.
