“They Trying to See Daddy (LeBron James)”: Deion Sanders Sympathizes With Pressure on Bronny James

Bronny James is one of those few basketball kids who had to face the wrath of their parents’ popularity at every step of life. Surely, he was one of the top NIL kings, but his on-court failures kept getting to the Trojan fans, especially with USC not even making it into the field of 68 this year. While his father LeBron James has always had his back, the 19-year-old has faced continuous criticism. Colorado Buffaloes head coach and father to two footballers, Deion Sanders, shared his views to add some much-needed support to the 6-ft-4 guard.

Sanders recently made a guest appearance on the All The Smoke podcast with his son Shedeur Sanders. Stephen Jackson asked the Buffaloes’ football coach about the Bronny and LeBron James situation. In response, he reminisced about the time he went to see USC’s game. Commenting on Bronny’s mental state, he said, “I like Bronny James, man. I felt bad for him because it’s a lot on this shorty. I could see the pressure and I could see it because I got boys. When he steps out there, they want to see the daddy. They ain’t checkin’ for Bronny.”

Sanders also urged people to stay patient as the 2023 McDonald’s American honoree will excel with time. He said, “Bronny is coming. He may not get there as quick as his father. But he’s coming.” 

The 2x SWAC title-winning coach also added how he has asked his son, who has freshly dethroned Bronny James from the NIL throne, to not try to be him. Instead, he simply asks him to give his best every day. No one is a stranger to the health scares Bronny James has gone through at such a young age. Nevertheless, he has stood up every time he fell down and has played despite all the criticism.

Experts backing Bronny James

LeBron James has repeatedly taken strong stands against people who have given his older kid a hard time. Hence, when ESPN dropped his name from their mock draft and people started clamoring up, King James was quick to charge them. He took it to his X account, stating, “Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball. The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y’all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given.”

Many NBA analysts too, including Noah and King McClure, have spoken up on Bronny’s status. According to them, people should first consider the fact that he got back on the floor just one month after a serious heart attack scare.

Currently, Bronny has officially ended his college career. He was previously in the transfer portal and considered Duke to be his ultimate pick. However, now he has his eyes on the professional league. It will be interesting to see if LeBron James will be able to fulfill his long-standing wish of someday playing alongside his kid.