No other 20-year-old is under the same pressure and media attention as Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James. No second-round pick in NBA history has generated such high expectations, which seems unfair for someone recovering from a cardiac arrest just over a year ago.

While James has achieved his dream of playing professional basketball, there is still a lot of work to be done to make him a valuable role player. But every game he plays, every minute is analyzed in depth considering he is the son of LeBron James.

Now that Bronny and LeBron form the first father-son duo in NBA history, TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley knows via Throwbacks that the former USC Trojan will have a target on his back:

“I’m glad he’s just healthy and we’re all rooting for him because we have so much respect for LeBron. It won’t be easy because he has a target in his sights because of his last name. There’s going to be some petty jealousy from people who say, ‘You don’t deserve to be in the NBA.’ You’re not as good as some of these other players. You only came in because of your father.’”

Bronny could spend much of his rookie season in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, gaining rep and confidence. But his minutes in the G-League will also be assessed, so it’s truly a lose-lose situation unless he shows significant progress.

However, seeing how LeBron has been through this for more than 20 seasons, Bronny can lean on his father for advice on tuning out those narratives. But it seems he has tolerance for media opinions about his accomplishments and at the end of the day just wants to play basketball.

JJ Redick wants Bronny James to be a defensive “nuisance” for the Lakers

At this stage of his rookie campaign in Summer League and after a few preseason minutes, it’s clear that Bronny James’ offensive game will take time to develop. However, his defensive skills are quite impressive and could be needed across the board given the number of explosive guards in the league.

By spending time in the G League to acclimate to the NBA style of play, the 20-year-old can hopefully develop into a 3-and-D guard. Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s plan for Bronny is for him to be a defensive “pest” for LA when he’s on the court.

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