The last time Bronny James featured on the hardwood for the Lakers in the NBA, he made a 2-minute cameo against the Raptors on November 10. He left the floor without contributing anything to the game. Well, apart from a foul. After that, it wasn’t a secret that the Lakers Nation didn’t want any part of Bronny James on the team. They waited for him to join the G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, and earlier this month, that happened.

Then, on November 24, Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane revealed, “Lakers say they have assigned guard Bronny James to the South Bay Lakers (for a two-game Lakers road trip).” But here’s the thing: some fans are now getting restless about Bronny’s absence… in the South Bay line-up. According to reports, James Jr picked up an injury that ruled him out from the G League games and will continue to do so. This was confirmed when the Lakers announced their injury list before taking on the Spurs on November 27: Bronny was out with a left heel contusion. But it turns out there’s a new twist to that story.

Earlier today (Friday), Trevor Lane announced, “Lakers say they have recalled guard Bronny James from the South Bay Lakers.” Bronny hasn’t been spared from criticism since the day he was drafted 55th overall, and the backlash reached its peak when he struggled to perform. Remember how, back in March, LeBron James tweeted, “Bronny definitely better than some of these cats I’ve been watching on league pass today”? Well, what do you say about Bronny having played just over 16 minutes for the Lakers (11-7)?

In the 6 games he’s featured in, James Jr has registered just 4 points, averaging 2.7 minutes, 0.7 points, 0.3 assists, and 0.2 rebounds per game. As you can imagine, these aren’t good stats for a rookie. Not even close. But is this all because of LeBron? Former NBA star Greg Anthony sure thinks so. And so does Stephen A. Smith, who has previously stated how LeBron’s tweet fueled the hype around his son; hype that the 20-year-old rookie has failed to live up to.

In fact, last week, when the 20-time NBA All-Star announced his abrupt departure from social media, Smith believed it was mostly to do with the Bronny situation and all the hate that’s being directed at LeBron, as a result. “Respectfully, this is all LeBron’s fault. It was LeBron James who told the world, ‘I wanna play with him in the NBA.’ Because he is LeBron James, he greased the skids and facilitated it happening… LeBron dictated the process instead of letting it play itself out.”

Concluding his take on the entire situation, Smith said, “As a result, the criticism that has come in Bronny’s way has been excessive. It has been unfair. But who instigated it? It was LeBron… It’s the one time in all of LeBron’s basketball life he should have been mellow!” But he didn’t, and now, Bronny’s bearing the brunt of the pressure. And it has shown even in his performances in the G-League.

Since being assigned to South Bay, the 20-year-old has played in 2 games, averaging 5 points, 3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and a 21% shooting percentage. What’s worse for the youngster is that the G-League recently released their rankings after the first two weeks of play, and Bronny ranked 333 out of 336. Per reports, he’s also been limited to participating only in home games. After this came to light, NBA legend Charles Barkley said in an appearance on The Bettor Angle, “The kid is not ready to play in the NBA. He should be in the G League so he can play basketball.

“This thing where he’s only gonna play homes games. It’s stupid, it’s not fair to him. It’s not fair to the team… I don’t think they are doing Bronny any favors. They have just handled this thing very bad.” But as opposed to Stephen A. Smith’s analysis, Barkley actually praised LeBron’s involvement in his son’s career, but not without a touch of criticism. “I really like everything LeBron has done. But it’s a bad look for him [too], in my opinion.”

Considering these stats, as well as his time playing in the NBA, Trevor Lane’s update resulted in fans not being able to wrap their heads around the supposed planning of the franchise. And just like that, we have another series of fan outrage surrounding Bronny James. And once again, LeBron’s been dragged into the narrative, as well.

Fan outrage intensifies after the latest announcement about Bronny James

Replying to Lane’s tweet, a fan wrote, “Call up Olivari, this is getting ridiculous.” Quincy’s name popped up even when concerns grew over point guard Gabe Vincent’s declining form. A majority of the fan base expressed a preference for seeing the 23-year-old in the Lakers’ squad over Bronny in the past as well. Quincy has proven his value during the preseason games, showcasing that he deserves a spot on the team. Well, his two-way contract allows him to be a part of the NBA side whenever he is called.

In the 4 games he’s played for the South Bay Lakers this season, Olivari has averaged 23 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. Seeing as the Lakers chose to recall Bronny over Quincy despite these stats didn’t sit well with many. Another fan commented, “Why? Bronny should be playing every G League game. EVERY GAME,” further questioning the franchise’s decision: “Do they call him up when daddy wants?”

The notion that LeBron is making the decision when it comes to Bronny rejoining the Lakers is quite common among fans. “Man, F Bronny James. LBJ is ruining our Lakers future… why not bring up QO41??” another wrote, further advocating for Olivari’s call-up. In fact, one LA fan straight-up called the NBA team “Daddy’s Little Daycare Center,” suggesting that LeBron’s in charge and can get the franchise to recall Bronny whenever he pleases.

Some believe that Bronny wouldn’t be able to develop the skills for which he was sent to the G League if he constantly moves between the LA Lakers and the South Bay team. “Bronny needs to go to a new team to keep it real; this back-and-forth isn’t good for anyone’s development,” a fan stated, and others echoed the sentiment.

Referring to this, a fan penned, “Dad made sure he got a bag, but he truly did a disservice to him. Kid should have stayed in college to try and develop.” Another highlighted, “Doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t play on South Bay, and he doesn’t play for the Lakers. He’s not getting minutes to develop? $8 million for what?”

Unfortunately, the former Trojan hasn’t been able to enhance his abilities so far, neither with the NBA team nor in the G League, as he is not given ample time on the hardwood. This has led them to question his 4-year contract with the franchise, worth nearly $8 million, an amount that many talented players in the league don’t receive.

“Why??? To sit on the bench,” a fan commented. In the six games he played for the Lakers, he was given a maximum of five minutes, with an average of less than three minutes per game, to display his potential. Naturally, he failed to do so and only went back home with his share of criticism.

Whereas another fan jokingly wrote, “Let him start Christmas Day for 3-4 minutes and LeBron’s Birthday let him play 3 minutes 👨‍🔧👨‍🔧👨‍🔧Otherwise the bench or G-League.” Many believe that since LeBron’s historic dream was to play with his son, Bronny debuted on the Lakers’ opening night. So the fan humorously suggested that to make the 39-year-old feel special, the team should let Bronny play for a couple of minutes on Christmas and LeBron’s birthday (December 30).

The criticism surrounding LeBron and Bronny James seems like a never-ending saga. But could Bronny silence his doubters with a strong performance in his next appearance, or will the criticism continue? Let us know your thoughts!