History will remember LeBron James as the NBA’s most transcendent superstar. However, he has had to deal with immense hype and attention right from the age of 17 when he first showed his spark to the world. Sports Illustrated magazine put a 17-year-old LBJ on the cover of their magazine, with the caption, “The Chosen One.” While this brought James a lot of fame, it also came with a lot of pressure. Today, despite starting his career with a steady pace, Bronny James has been pushed into the same pressure-filled environment.

LeBron James has enjoyed a successful 21-season career in the NBA and still has some gas left in the tank for a few more seasons. Following in his footsteps would be a daunting task for even the most established names in the NBA. However, the world expects the firstborn of the “Chosen One,” Bronny James, to do exactly that.

Obviously, putting such immense pressure on a 19-year-old college freshman wasn’t the best course of action. Furthermore, Bronny’s recent subpar performances for the USC Trojans have invited more scrutiny, especially after ESPN projected Bronny to be a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Following ESPN’s controversial draft projections, LBJ came to the defense of Bronny James. In a now-deleted tweet, LeBron wrote, “Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid.” However, former Warriors coach Mark Jackson disagrees with LeBron’s take. In a recent episode of the Mark Jackson podcast, Jackson used Deion Sanders and his son, Shedeur, as an example to hit home his point.

He said, “I disagree, in 2024, ‘let a kid be a kid.’ That’s not where we are… It’s a different day and time when you talk about social media and media coverage on how we handle these kids. Deion Sanders’ sons, he’s not just the cornerback in Colorado. There’s a special light on them, and pressure comes with it.” 

While Jackson has a point, putting such immense pressure on teenagers, especially in the age of social media, could prove to be counterintuitive. However, is LeBron the reason behind the immense hype and attention surrounding Bronny?

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Is LeBron also to be partially blamed for the hype surrounding Bronny James?

Although sons of iconic figures have always generated some attention, the hype surrounding Bronny James is on another level. Of course, Bronny’s connection to LeBron James has contributed significantly to the attention he receives. But it’s LeBron’s incessant need to promote his son that has elevated the hype around Bronny to stratospheric levels.

In February 2023, LeBron made waves with a controversial statement. Writing on his X account, he asserted that “Bronny definitely better than some of these cats I’ve been watching on league pass today.” Remarks like these only heightened expectations around Bronny. However, LeBron’s remarks have backfired, as Bronny continues to struggle during his freshman season for USC. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!

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