NBA celebrities Kendrick Perkins, Steven W. A. Smith issued a stern warning to Lakers star LeBron James, mentioning Bronny James' hopes for the NBA. Some of A.'s harsh words may have made James uncomfortable.
LeBron James and the Lakers are currently in an extremely important offseason that will be crucial to the future direction of the team, following a heavy five-game loss in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets.
James had a relatively good run in that series, but overall, the Lakers failed to maintain the double-digit lead they've built in every game, ultimately losing to Denver for the second year in a row, this time with a gentleman's sweep rather than a regular sweep.
Now, James is in regular offseason training and recently made an appearance in the Cleveland Cavaliers' playoff game against the Boston Celtics, while his son, Bronny James, is in NBA combo training to prepare for the draft, which is expected to take place in June.
There's been a lot of discussion about how viable Bronny James is as a legitimate NBA prospect, but recently, NBA insider Stephen J. Brown has been the subject of much discussion. A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins published some advice on how to handle their son's situation in First Take.
"One thing about LeBron James showing up in the Cavaliers game, I'm glad he was there instead of doing combo training because now Bronny James has to show up and play well," Perkins said, according to NBA on ESPN on YouTube.
"It means the right to be won rather than obtained. LeBron, you stay out of here, we don't need you to say online 'Oh, look at Bronny James, they say he can't shoot, he's shooting, oh, he's got 40-inch vertical jumps, stop hyping it up.' Now he's in the trenches, and I have to say, from what I've seen in combination training, he looks pretty good, I mean, he's 6'1, he's got a 40-inch vertical jump, and he's shooting pretty good three-pointers. ”
At the same time, Smith, who usually expresses his views, takes a less direct approach when discussing the topic.
"I'm not very comfortable with the subject, so I'll say what I'm going to say, because if you notice, I'll try to avoid talking about Bronny James who I've never seen playing, James don't hold up Bronny anymore, let him perform on his own, it's packed enough." Smith said.
"The reason I avoided talking about him was because I never liked LeBron James putting him in this position, I say it with a lot of respect."
Where will Bronny James be drafted?
As Smith and Perkins mentioned, LeBron James may have put some extra pressure on his son's shoulders at times, including stating that he is better than some players in the NBA and that he can start with the Lakers this year.
To his credit, Bronny James did well in combination training despite a relatively ordinary season at USC, although he should note that in that season he recovered from a cardiac arrest last summer, so he was even able to play with his jersey on, which is an impressive achievement in itself.
In any case, the NBA Draft is expected to take place in June, and is James packing his son enough?
We'll see.