A few hours ago, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe released another episode of his ‘Nightcap’ podcast. Joining him as co-host was a renowned member of the NBA fraternity: Former Wizards star Gilbert Arenas. During the same, Sharpe turned the conversation towards discussing the recent rumors that LeBron James’ son, Bronny, may be looking to enter the transfer portal and bid adieu to USC for another prestigious college and basketball team. LeBron himself spoke out on these rumors, stating that his son has some “big decisions to make” and that he will stand by his side when the same has been done. The four-time champion has often expressed his dream of playing alongside his son in an NBA game, and an exit from his college team would help a little bit in making that dream a reality.
Amid all the chatter, Sharpe highlighted that Bronny’s time with USC was not his best, since his performance was deeply constricted by limited minutes on the court. Such an action was undertaken after Bronny James’ health scare in August 2023. Given that it has been a reasonable amount of time since then, Shannon Sharpe, who shares a good friendship with the Lakers legend, expressed his opinion that the 19-year-old should not give up so easily.
“I think it would be wise for him to go back, and maybe he gets a clean bill of health,” said Sharpe. “And he is able to play 30 minutes, 35 minutes…..show us some flashes of athleticism”. Rumors about Bronny’s exit have been circulating ever since former USC head coach Andy Enfield became a member of the SMU Mustangs.
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If the youngster proceeds to undertake this action, then he will be exiting the USC Trojans after only playing one season, during which he appeared for 25 games and only averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Because of his poor performance, not many have considered the player eligible enough to qualify for the NBA draft. However, if his performance were to improve with another team, his chances of joining the big league could increase as well.
Shannon Sharpe believes that LeBron James needs to be “careful” in hyping his son up
LeBron James and Shannon Sharpe, two of the biggest names in sports history, have established a long-running friendship based on mutual trust and respect. The NFL star, on several occasions, has used his platform to praise LeBron’s athleticism and on-court prowess. LeBron was also seen putting out a statement back in January 2023 that read “I ride with Shannon 365 days—366 on a leap year—24/7.” Despite their relationship, Sharpe has not shied away from criticizing the Lakers legend if he felt that the latter was in the wrong.
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Back in February, LeBron James became a topic of conversation after defending Bronny online. Taking to his official X account, the player bashed a report that claimed that Bronny had been removed from ESPN’s 2024 NBA mock draft by stating “The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do.” Shannon Sharpe highlighted the comments during an episode.
He stated that the comparisons between Bronny and LeBron will continue to remain, but the latter has to find a better way to act as a support system for his son. “Where LeBron needs to be careful is when Bronny plays well and you say that ‘he is better than some players in the NBA’. People are going to remember you said that” said Sharpe.
“You have to be careful of that. LeBron has to understand. He (Bronny) is gonna catch strays because of you (LeBron)”.
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Do you agree with Shannon Sharpe’s assessment that Bronny should stay with USC? Let us know in the comments.
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