Bronny Jamesmeeting with the media at the NBA draft on Tuesday, said he isn’t thinking about playing in the NBA with his father.
“I would be happy to make the league instead of thinking about playing with my dad,” he said. “But that’s not my mindset. I’m just trying to put in the work and see where it takes me from there.”
LeBron JamesAt the beginning of his career, he said it was his dream play with Bronny a day in the NBA. But as that possibility approached, LeBron and those close to him began to distance themselves from those plans in favor of Bronny. carving your own path in the situation that is best for him.
“My dream has always been to get my name out there, make a name for myself and, of course, make it to the NBA, which is the ultimate goal for everyone here,” Bronny James said Tuesday. “And, you know, I never thought about just joking with my dad, but of course he brought it up a few times.”
James measured just 6 feet, 1½ inches in socks on Monday in Chicago, but his 40.5-inch vertical set the stage for a positive testing day that included a pair of strong throwing performances.
He played in 25 games for USC last season, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists, numbers that caused some to question his inclusion in the combine draft despite teams selecting him for the event .
“There’s nothing I can say to be honest. … You know, I obviously see everything that’s been thrown my way,” he said. “But, you know, I just have to shrug it off. And all the work I’ve done on this, I don’t know, many years… I just feel like I need to believe in myself and everything else.”
He said he has not yet made a final decision on whether he will remain in the draft or return to college.
Speaking to reporters, Bronny said he looked to players like Boston guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, as well as Sacramento guard Davion Mitchell – three defensive-minded players – as ones he would like to emulate if he made it to the NBA.
“Just guys who excel at their roles and, you know, make good money and get playing time out of it,” he said, “because they’re locked into that role and they know what they’re supposed to do.”
And that could be anywhere, Bronny said, whether it’s on his father’s roster or not.
“I just want to, you know, let people know that my name is Bronny James and not just be identified as LeBron James’ son,” he said. “I feel like that would be a great angle.”
This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
