Getting drafted by the Lakers was a special moment for Bronny James. But it also came with a ton of heat from the basketball community. With people doubting his credibility as a player and many even accusing him of nepotism, the teenager has heard it all in just a span of a few weeks. While many would crumble under such immense pressure, Bronny is surprisingly not haunted by such insecurities. At least that’s what his father LeBron James claimed as he revealed how Bronny has been far tougher in his approach so far as opposed to the four-time champ’s rookie season.

In an interview with ESPN, following his Sunday practice for the Olympics, Bron made an honest confession about his dilemma from his rookie season, 2 decades ago, revealing how the same issues don’t really bother his son as much as they bothered him in his time. “I don’t know if people really understand Bronny. He doesn’t care. I actually care a little bit. When I came in [as a rookie], I wanted people to like me, and some of the things that people were saying about me kind of bothered me early on in my career… He doesn’t give a f**k.”

Bron further said, “He does not care about nobody. He doesn’t even listen to that stuff. He’s like the coolest. He’s like the complete opposite of his dad. His dad will say something [to address the critics]. Bro does not care. … Everything that’s being said about him, he really does not care.”

Coming into the league at the age of eighteen and already deemed ‘The Chosen One’, LeBron was under immense pressure to live up to the expectations and please everyone. But that’s not the case with Bronny. Cool, calm, and collected, the Lakers rookie has cut out all the outside noise and is only focused on becoming a successful NBA player.

Moreover, Bronny’s focus is clearly visible in how he conducts himself in public and on the hardwood. Making his highly anticipated Lakers debut in Saturday’s Summer League opener against the Kings, he displayed his athleticism, defensive mindset, and high basketball IQ. Maybe his four-point performance didn’t show it, but there were a lot of positives in his first outing.

Bronny James is no short of career options like LeBron was

Even when people are quick to accuse Bronny of being a nepo-kid, claiming that he has stolen someone’s spot to get into the NBA, they lose the perspective that perhaps he did put in his hard work to get to this level. And it was nothing but his sheer love for the sport that got him here. After all, he had everything in his life and he could be anything, yet he still chose to surround himself in the negativity from critics and haters.

LeBron understands this and aptly tells ESPN: “When I was coming up, I had no choice. I literally had no choice… Bronny has all the choices in the world. If Bronny wants to stop right now or never played basketball or just wanted to be a gamer or wanted to be a chef or wanted to be nothing to whatever, he could have done that… People don’t understand how hard that is and the commitment for him to be coming out of heart surgery less than a year ago, for him to be able to be in the NBA, the kid, he’s special.”

Unlike LeBron, Bronny was born into a rich household with a billionaire father. And he could have very easily chosen to take the easy route and lived off his father’s money doing whatever he wanted. However, he chose to stay committed to his passion for basketball and worked his way up the ladder, first in High School, then at USC, and finally making it to the pros.

Even now, he does not want to get any preferential treatment and is expected to play in the G League for most of the season like most second-round picks do. Plus, people tend to forget that the kid suffered from a life-threatening cardiac arrest just a year ago and came out the other side stronger and more motivated. And maybe it’s his ability to not be bothered by what people say that has kept him hungry despite all the criticism and adversity.