“Love me or hate me, but you can’t ignore me”— this is Bronny James‘ NBA story so far in a nutshell. Thanks to the immense pressure that comes with being the son of the legendary LeBron James, the rookie has been subjected to non-stop scrutiny since announcing his draft decision. Even with a month of regular season basketball behind us, the talks won’t go away, even if they have to contradict. Of course, contradiction is a part of the debate, but amid all this, it seems another decision has been made on Bronny James’ G League future.

According to Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane, Bronny James is staying in the G League but Armel Traore will be staying as a rotation for the Lakers. “Lakers say they have assigned guard Bronny James and forward Maxwell Lewis to the South Bay Lakers. Looks like Armel Traore, who played a few minutes last night, is staying up,” Lane wrote on X.

Traore made his first appearance in the regular season for the Purple and Gold last night against the Pelicans, playing for roughly four minutes. However, he didn’t make much of an impact, other than grabbing a rebound much like what Bronny did on his historic debut night. But reportedly, the franchise is willing to take a chance with the 21-year-old who showcased an average of 7.2 points during the five Summer League games.

Does this mean the Los Angeles side is likely to give Bronny less playing time than expected? The point guard is supposed to play in home games for the South Bay Lakers, stepping up to the NBA squad when needed. Amid this challenging period for Bronny, former Lakers star Metta Sandiford-Artest has showed his support for Jr. James.

In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Metta expressed a positive outlook on Bronny’s move to the South Bay team. “I think he’s doing very well,” said the ex-player development coach for South Bay, adding that the Lakers’ rookie is “not underachieving.” Like many others, he too believes that the G League will provide Bronny with an opportunity to develop his hooping skills. The 45-year-old stated, “The G League is a great platform. So many great players and some maybe even future Hall of Famers came out of the G League.” However, not everyone is showing the same kindness toward the young guard.

Former NFL star asks Bronny James to beg for G League spot

The decision to have Bronny James play only home games for the South Bay Lakers put him under the scrutiny of former NFL star Ryan Clark, who made a bold statement about the situation. On The Pivot Podcast, Clark questioned, “What has Bronny James done that he shouldn’t be able to stay at the Courtyard Marriott?” like the other team members of the G League team.

He also remarked that one doesn’t receive different treatment because of their parents, but rather based on their own ability to contribute. Clark’s harsh criticisms didn’t stop there.

The veteran offered his perspective on what he would’ve done if he were in Bronny’s shoes. “If I’m Bronny James…I’m begging Rich Paul. I’m begging J.J. Redick. I’m begging my father, ‘Please let me travel with this team. Please let me stay at the Courtyard Marriott. Please let me fly commercial.” He also took a dig at his shooting, which is 16.7% from the field for the LA squad. Clark stated that he would have also proved his worth to be in the NBA team had he been Bronny James.

While many believe that Bronny’s life is easier, the reality is quite the opposite, as he faces constant criticism simply for carrying his famous last name. These remarks are unlikely to stop until he delivers stronger stats. In the meantime, stay connected for more updates on the ongoing commentary.