Few things in recent memory have been as divisive as the Lakers drafting Bronny last year. Not only did it kick off a media wildfire, it also brought a lot of eyes onto Bronny’s game (I mean, when have the eyes ever been away?). From former athletes to media personalities like Stephen A. Smith, everyone has added their two cents to the major storyline that is Bronny James. And just recently, a retired NBA All-Star has given us his opinion on Bronny James. But it seems a former All-American disagrees with him.

Bronny James, in his first season for the Lakers, has faced a lot of flak. And they weren’t unfounded. His first showings for the Lakers made us realize instantly that he wasn’t ready to play in a starring role for LA. But ever since then, he’s only gotten better. And this is something that has taken former NBA player and All-Star, Gilbert Arenas, by surprise.

“So where Bronny is, I figured, okay. By the time his third year comes around, he will be usable in the NBA. I did not expect him to be dominating in the G League right now…The bones of his game was already there…Being aggressive in the shell shock of [Steph] Curry, Ja Morant. Yeah. That was gonna, that gets everyone…So I’m impressed with how fast he actually turned his game around, and you can see the confidence in him,” said Arenas on the Dan Patrick Show.

And if someone knows about improvement, it’s Gil. He went from averaging 10.9 points in his first NBA season to steadily improving that figure to a whopping 25.9 points per game in his fourth. And given the strides Bronny has made in less than a year, there’s no reason we shouldn’t give him that same grace.

Bronny is now one of the best in the G League; look no further than his 39-point showing against the Santa Cruz Warriors. It put a lot of people on notice, and it seems Gil was one of them.

But Arenas also revealed that he thought there wasn’t a better 55th pick available to the Lakers during the 2024 NBA Draft. “Who was available that’s showing you right now they should have been that pick? No one…So being 19 years old, athletic for a point guard, six-two, fast, right, strong, can shoot, can dribble. Right? That was the right pick,” said Gil.

While Arenas might believe this wholeheartedly, former NFL player Channing Crowder believes Bronny does not belong in the NBA. And he made his feelings clear on the Pivot Podcast.

Channing Crowder goes ballistic on Bronny James

It’s hard to argue that Bronny is improving as a player with each passing day. Being only 20, he has a lot to learn. After all, not everyone is as NBA-ready straight out of high school as Bronny’s dad, LeBron James. However, Channing Crowder recently opined that regardless of what improvements Bronny has made over this past year, he simply isn’t NBA-quality yet.

“They were losing by 30, he got in that game, he made 17 points,” Crowder said about Bronny’s career-high against the Milwaukee Bucks on the Pivot Podcast. “Little Chan” paused for dramatic effect before adding, “He just shot some threes, and he gets cooked defensively!” And when Ryan Clark brought up the fact that Bronny then dropped 39 points in the G League that same week, Crowder quickly dismissed it.

“Little Chan could get 31 in the G League,” he said. “So Bronny’s getting 39 on people that can’t play in the NBA?” said the former All-American, questioning his co-hosts. However, Crowder was quick to point out that he had love for LeBron James and his family. But, “His son should not be on the sideline with Luka, and him, and SGA…Bronny should not be sitting over there with those type of players,” he clarified.

While we agree that No. 9 still isn’t NBA-ready, he’s got all the time in the world to change that. He’s only 20, after all. And the brief glimpse we’ve seen of his full potential has shown that he understands the game well. So, perhaps we should all take a moment before we judge Bronny’s readiness as an NBA player.

But which side are you on in this matter? No Chill Gil? Or Channing Crowder? Let us know!