Bronny James was a highly touted recruit from Sierra Canyon High School in Southern California and played one season at USC. He arrived on campus with a lot of promise, but that fell through when he suffered a cardiac arrest during practice before the season.

James was later cleared to return and debuted on December 10, but never really found his footing. He then averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 points per game for a Trojans team that failed to make the NCAA Tournament.

Rarely do players with these stats get drafted by an NBA team, but the Lakers took Bronny in the second round with the 55th overall pick. The decision was immediately questioned by critics who alleged nepotism. If LeBron James wasn’t his father, they said, he wouldn’t have been selected.

This idea of ​​feeling unworthy is something Payton II experienced in his childhood. He said the kids only tell him he’s starting a basketball team because of his dad. Only when he “accepted” it was he able to be his own person.

Atlanta Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. experienced similar moments from players and fans in high school and college. He admitted to feeling pressure to go to the NBA to prove he could live up to the high standards set by his father, a three-time All-Star and 1984 Slam Dunk Champion.

But when Nance Jr. entered the professional ranks, all the weight lifted from his shoulders. Nobody ever said anything.

“There are a lot of people in the league whose lineage comes from the NBA. But there are many more who didn’t make it,” he said. “There’s not a guy in the league that’s going to sit here and say, ‘Oh, you’re just in here because of your name.’ You know better. You can’t get here with nepotism. This doesn’t work.”

Orlando Magic guard Jett Howard, the son of two-time NBA champion Juwan Howard, agreed.

“I feel like you can’t really tell a front office why they drafted a player,” Howard told NBC News. “Bronny is a great player and has great potential. This is just my personal opinion, but people have a right to how they feel. It’s Bronny’s job to prove them wrong.”

76ers forward KJ Martin, the son of former No. 1 draft pick and NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin, applauded the Lakers for their decision to sign LeBron’s son. Finally, despite his health condition which set him back early on, Bronny has shown the ability to be a top player.

And it’s not like it was a lottery.

“People expect too much from him. “When did anyone expect the 55th overall pick to do something spectacular?” Martin said. “Maybe he’s a little behind, which is totally fine.”

However, Martin said if it had been him, he wouldn’t have wanted to be picked by his father’s franchise.

“I am my own person. Just let me be my own person. That’s the only reason I wouldn’t do it,” he said. “I could probably say the same thing about my father. He wants me to experience the NBA and kind of figure it out for myself. I’m not saying LeBron won’t let Bronny do it, but at the same time he’s there and he’ll be there every day, so it’s a little different.”

But being close to his father — one of the smartest players to ever play basketball — should make Bronny’s transition to the league easier, Nance Jr. said.

Now in his ninth professional season on his fifth team, Nance Jr. still calls his dad after every practice and game. The two discuss the pace of the game, the shots he took (and the shots he took). should have taken) and how he can improve his IQ on the pitch.

However, they can only create limited opportunities when physically separated from one another.

“I talk to my father after every training session, but I have to describe the exercises to him. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I said, ‘Hey dad, remember that one play in practice?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah.'” Nance Jr. said. “You can’t get there without help into the league. Putting him in a situation where he’s getting probably the best help and advice he can possibly get, being his father right there, I think sets him up for a quicker learning curve.”

It remains to be seen where Bronny fits into the Lakers’ plans. With veteran stars like LeBron and Anthony Davis leading the team under new head coach JJ Redick, Los Angeles once again sees itself as a playoff contender. Therefore, it won’t be easy for Bronny to find logs.

The likely scenario is that he starts the season in the NBA and eventually moves to the G League to further his growth. He won’t get any better if he remains buried on the depth chart. This is especially true considering he didn’t even play a full season at USC.

Payton II, now in his eighth NBA season and an integral part of the Warriors, spent parts of five seasons honing his skills to get where he is today. He said Bronny could imagine a similar story.

“I feel like the G League will help him tremendously, just like it did me. It primed and prepared me for the real deal,” he said. “He’s got all the tools over there. As soon as he gets his chance, when he comes back with the team and gets thrown in, he will be fine.”

“Right now he just has to figure out a lot about where his place is and what it will look like in real time and in real time. But once he gets settled in and has the flow to do things, Bronny will have a great basketball career.”