Given how Bronny James performed in his lone season at USC, critics were quick to slander the Lakers and LeBron James for drafting the prospect. But to the 20-year-old, his journey of even being back on the basketball court was uncertain. His efforts to make a return less than half a year after suffering a cardiac arrest gave him a sense of belonging. “I put in the work and stuff like that to get back, so I feel like I’ve earned the opportunity,” he said at the NBA Draft Combine. As hard as it was for him to get back, as parents, LeBron James and Savannah James had the bigger decision to make.

When speaking about it on the Starting 5 docuseries, the James clan recalled the horror of the day in July 2023. “We almost lost our son,” The Akron Hammer recalls. As his guardians, the parents were concerned with his well-being. As a fellow parent, Charles Barkley while on the Throwbacks podcast shared his glee on the teenager’s recovery. But he couldn’t comprehend the emotions that LeBron James must have tackled with his son’s future.

“To get that call must be terrifying,” the HOF-er said about Bronny’s cardiac arrest. “What’s really terrifying is trying to figure out if you’re going to let him play again,” he continued.

After his surgery, that was the first thought that swirled in the 20-year-old’s mind. LeBron James was equally as astonished. “As a parent, you’re like, ‘You had a cardiac arrest, like…,’ and in his mind he’s like, ‘Can I or can I not play ball again and if the answer is yes, when can I play ball again?’” he said in the docuseries.

Ultimately, after consulting the best doctors, Bronny James was given the green light, even though he initially required CPR at the time of the incident. Still, the fear that comes with the decision cannot be ignorable. Thinking from the parent’s perspective, Barkley spoke about the scary possibility that comes along with the call. “The kid wants to play but God forbid if something happens, you would never forgive yourself as a parent,” he said on Throwbacks.

But now that he has made an improbable return, Barkley lent his two cents on how the Lakers need to manage the prodigious talent.

Charles Barkley warns Bronny James of the target on his back

The negativity around Bronny James is something that will continue throughout his rookie season. It began when an anonymous Lakers teammate criticized the franchise for focusing solely on the 20-year-old. Given his last name and the weight it pulls, Barkley feels he is going to have “a target on his back.”

With that in mind, it’s critical for the Lakers as a franchise to ensure the youthful guard develops his gifts and is prepared for the demands of the NBA. Currently, the NBA Hall of Famer doesn’t feel like Bronny James is up to that mark yet. “They can’t just put him out there yet because he is not a finished product,” he said on the show.

With the small sample size, his assessment seems true. Even JJ Redick has emphasized viewing the USC product as the Lakers’ first development project. That’s why he isn’t concerned with his shooting woes during preseason. Redick feels James is still trying to navigate through his role on the team, but the current focus is sharpening his defensive skills.

Being a ‘disruptor’ is the vision the rookie head coach has in his mind. Even though only 6’1″, Bronny James is lively on the floor, using his long wingspan and quickness to hound guards. Furthermore, he has showcased having a great shot that translates within the NBA range. So far, it just hasn’t clicked.

Luckily, Redick being a renowned shooter himself, Bronny has the appropriate guidance to correct the technical errors with his current form. Most important though is his mindset. Privilege isn’t something he carries with him. With his tremendous love for basketball, the 20-year-old wants to take the right path to making his name, even though it’s long.

Redick has raved about his mindset and said he is extremely “coachable.” With his grounded nature, Bronny James has taken well to the prospect of spending time in the G-League, itching to play “any basketball” so that he can regain his tempo prior to the health scare. In normal cases, critics can deter one away from an honest path.

However, Bronny James is immune to the skeptics. He is laser-focused on improving as a basketball player. Anything stray isn’t his concern. Do you think with his commendable work ethic, Bronny James can become the player he envisions to be? Let us know your views in the comments below.