When Bronny James was picked 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, it led to an onset of mixed reactions. Many supported the eldest son of LeBron, backing his unproven and raw abilities to be an NBA fit. On the other hand, the naysayers felt the 19-year-old had found a place due to the powers of nepotism. But for the James clan, the situation is completely different.

Savannah was seen incredibly emotional when presenting her son with the Lakers hat. Through the build-up, it seemed obvious that he would be beside his father. But ten months ago, his lifelong dream had collapsed in front of his eyes. Nick Wright, on The Domonique Foxworth Show, had an analogy to make, before weighing a few unspoken pros with the cons. “The celebration part of to me comes from the Damar Hamlin of it all.”

“Because they were so private about it, it has just been memory hold that ten and a half months ago when this kid was a Top 30 recruit in his class his heart stopped on the practice court and they thought he might die and then they thought he might never play again. Because when you look at the basketball of it, you have a player who is an elite high school player, who played in the McDonald’s All-American game that people accused his inclusion in that being nepotism”.

“And then he had 15 points on 5-8 from three,” Wright pointed. So, we got the point Nick was trying to make about Bronny. For those who’ve forgotten or who aren’t big watchers of the NFL like they are of the NBA, let’s roll the calendar to Hamlin’s incident briefly.

Early in 2023, Damar Hamlin, a Buffalo Bills player, was wiped out by a hit, leaving him lifeless for several minutes on the field. He was stretchered off 10 minutes later after the medics had his heartbeat restored. Months later, terrible news struck once again, this time Bronny was in the headlines. Before he began his USC season, the teenager suffered a cardiac arrest in practice, derailing his entire campaign. For his parents, it reminded them of the fragility of life.

The accident didn’t stop Bronny James though. His comeback was a testament to his resilience and unbending spirit. He completed his freshman season. Although he played a diminished role, Bronny James was slowly regaining his swagger back. He stunned scouts during the NBA Draft combine, ultimately convincing people of his place in the NBA. He ended up making history with his father, becoming the first such duo to be teammates soon.

But from the Lakers’ perspective, some experts perceived it to be the wrong move to draft the teenager. They felt the pick could have been better utilized in a trade to upgrade the roster. While Bronny may not directly impact the team, Nick Wright feels the Lakers will gain something even more ferocious. A newer and potentially the best version of LeBron James!

“Everyone is like Bronny is not going to help the Lakers this year. Well, maybe. But maybe he actually helps the Lakers massively this year because maybe you get a slightly different LeBron. So this is the part that I’m interested in because LeBron’s biggest weaknesses are like the passive aggressiveness on defensive breakdowns, maybe tuning out the coach, those things”.

“Are you going to get a more locked-in, a well-mannered LeBron than ever because he is like ‘Gosh darn it, my kids are here. I need to set a good example,'” Wright claims. James’ most recent extension signaled his intentions to cooperate with the Lakers, at least in the near future. Additionally, he forbade himself from being involved in the offseason processes too, unlike other campaigns.

It did seem to be less about him, and more about his son, Bronny James. Maybe it goes as Wright says or it doesn’t. One thing’s for sure, the NBA world will witness a unique and unseen version of LeBron James this season.

Bronny James will fight for his place

There is a high chance the NBA world will see a more selfless LeBron James this season. As a father, he once revealed his dreams of playing with Bronny loud and clear. For him, that could be his primary objective, ensuring his son settles well into the NBA. However, the 19-year-old has never pushed for the agenda, at least in what he’s said during interviews. He has always had one goal: to stake his claim on his own merit. In order to do so, he is willing to work hard and improve his game each day.

“Just coming in and trying to get better. Rob has told me that there is a great development system here, so I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. But I never really had a thought of you know me going to play with my dad. But that’s always there to take part of but it wasn’t a main focus of mine to do,” the 19-year-old said during his Lakers press conference.

As someone who has confronted the worst scares of life, Bronny James doesn’t seem to be one to hold back. He understands the lights are on him and that it’s up to him to live up to the standards out there. It’s majorly helpful to him that he has not only LeBron but other great basketball minds grooming his game. With his zeal and passion, Bronny James could be a rookie to watch out for this year.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what the veteran sports brand maker Leonard Armato had to say about the Shaq-Kobe beef, check out this exclusive video by EssentiallySports.