Bronny James’ Hero Damian Lillard Comes to His Rescue Amid Rampant Marcus Jordan Comparisons

Bronny James’ freshman season is now in the books. His season came to a screeching halt after the Trojans failed to secure a ticket to March Madness after the Arizona Wildcats decimated them with a 70-49 blowout loss in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals. Unfortunately, the 19-year-old’s season wasn’t very memorable, as he tallied only 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists across 25 games, converting 36.6% of his field goals and shooting at 26.7% efficiency from beyond the arc. However, these stats gave rise to a new narrative. No, it’s not the draft stock this time.

Following the completion of Bronny’s first year, the fans started comparing his freshman season stats to those of Michael Jordan’s son, Marcus Jordan. During his first year at the University of Central Florida, Marcus, too, caught a lot of flak for his modest 8.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Some are now wielding these statistics as a weapon to mock the Trojans guard’s season averages. Damian Lillard, whom Bronny considers the best point guard in the NBA, wasn’t having any of it.

The Milwaukee Bucks‘ star took to Instagram to call out those who have been making these bizarre comparisons. He wrote in his story, “Y’all on some weak sh*t at this point smh.” It’s hard not to agree with Lillard, especially when you take into consideration Bronny James’ health history. In July 2023, the 19-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest during a practice session at USC, which was later revealed to be caused by a “functionally significant congenital heart defect.” Subsequently, he underwent surgery to correct the issue, the recovery from which sidelined him for four months and the first eight games of the season. When taking his health scare into account, it is remarkable that he is even playing. But the big question right now is whether he’ll run it back with USC or enlist in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Should Bronny James return to USC for another season?

Despite the regular season being in full swing, Bronny’s future has been one of the biggest talking points. ESPN’s decision to omit him from their latest 2024 mock draft sparked intense debate, with many questioning whether he should postpone his NBA dreams and spend more time in college. Several analysts are of the view that it would be better for Bronny to stay in college and hone his skills before declaring for the draft.  Moreover, Boogie Ellis, Isaiah Collier, and Kobe Johnson are all expected to declare for the NBA Draft this summer, which will allow James to start for his team next year and get significant playing time to fully blossom into a one-and-done prospect.

However, if he does want to enter this year, there are no doubts that teams would be swarming to draft Bronny, especially considering they also get LeBron James as a package deal. Should Bronny stay back in college for another year? Or should he enlist in the draft this year? Let us know in the comments!

Read More: Bronny James’ ESPN Mock Draft Controversy Puts LeBron Under Fire for “Ultimate Hypocrisy”