PORTLAND, Ore. -- With his parents and sister in attendance at the Moda Center, Bronny James scored 11 points and made key plays in the late stages as a USA Basketball team of the nation's top high school seniors defeated a World team of international players age 19 or younger, 90-84, in Saturday's men's Nike Hoop Summit game. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...nt-row-bronny-james-leads-us-nike-hoop-summit The lone player on the U.S. roster who has yet to commit to a college for the 2023-24 season, James felt he left a good impression of his game with his play this week. "Of course I can defend at a high level," he said, asked what he showed. "I'm a smart player. I can make the right plays. I'm not very ball-hungry. I can give it up. Just know that I'm a good player and a good teammate."
I don't think it's just nepotism with this kid (although there's some of that), he does look like he'll be an NBA-caliber player. Just don't expect him to be anywhere remotely near his dad's level. I could see him having a Derek Fisher type of career, or maybe if he really maximizes his potential, closer to Jason Kidd. The biggest thing he brings to any team that drafts him is the chance to sign LeBron, and I'd bet on something getting worked out behind the scenes so that the team that drafts him moves up to do it because that's where LeBron wants to be (probably still the Lakers).
Looks like he would be around 6'3 so yep therefore a lot shorter than his dad. A lot of what his dad did came from his height, his vision, his strength and body.
I think thats an achievement by itself though. He'll be the 2nd best superstar son in recent history after Domantas. Lets face it 2nd gen grew up rich, spoiled and facing a lot of pressure as well as the fact that they wont be as good as their dad. MJ's kids, Zaire Wade, pippen Jr, Payton II etc these kids havent really been anything more than fringe players in the NBA if that.
It looks like KJ Martin may end up with more career points than his dad. Seems to be a much more likable person as well.
While that's true, I think LeBron's skills are criminally underrated because, other than being able to jump through the ceiling, his game has never been all that "flashy" (relative to other perennial superstars). He's sort of been the Tim Duncan of swingmen in that regard. He's just Steady Eddy. He does seem to have one of the most perfect pro-athlete builds and physiology of all time, but he's also a very gifted, hard-working, and skilled player/tactician.
I get what you're saying, but I think a lot of people look at "big-ass robot-movin'" Lebron in his older age and think "that's Lebron". Lebron is nothing like his first several years in the NBA. He wasn't flashy like Magic, but on defense and offense, running the break, etc., he was probably the most explosive star player since Shaq (ok, and maybe Vince). I guess I'd need to figure out what "flashy" means. I don't know if I've seen too many players I'd call "flashy" since maybe Jason Williams, who wasn't a superstar. Was Kobe "flashy"? Magic Johnson definitely was. Isiah Thomas was. Kevin Durant, to me, isn't flashy. I'm not sure who all the flashy superstars today are, tbh. I'd have to think about it. Most superstars are just better than everybody at whatever they're good at. I do agree his actual basketball skills/ability sans athleticism are sometimes underrated, though.
LeBron is still one of the most athletic players, and of course he's only gotten stronger and better at playing bully ball as he's gotten older: But yes, his overall feel for the game should be more praised than it is. "Feel for the game" is such a vague, hard-to-define term, but it might be the most important thing for basketball success. It's the same reason scouts are head over heels for Scoot Henderson. Just the combination of a dozen little things, none of which is game-breaking, that tell you "this is a guy built to play basketball". Combining that with elite athleticism and a strong 6'9" frame is why LeBron was considered a generational prospect even though he couldn't shoot and couldn't play defense when he first came into the league.
I feel like Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Devin Booker, Jalen Brunson, Darius Garland, Jerami Grant, Jaren Jackson Jr, Kevin Love, and Klay Thompson might disagree. Booker's dad only played like 32 games though so maybe he shouldn't be on the list.
Yeah, the term "flashy", like just about all sports debates, will come down to subjective opinion and semantics, but I definitely think Kobe was flashy, to answer at least one of your questions, which is part of why he's so overrated (still fantastic, but overrated). Similarly, Harden is maybe the furthest possible thing from flashy, which is one of the reasons his game is not just under "rated", but actively hated on. For him, it's not even just a subconscious bias for sports fans, but something many people will openly admit makes them not like him or his game. I digress a bit, but ultimately, "flashiness" to me roughly comes down to how many "oohs" and "aahs" your game evokes, and how much people playing pickup ball at the park want to try to emulate your moves to impress their friends. (Though I guess by those metrics, even Harden's step back 3 was flashy, at least to those who didn't call it a travel)
I said superstar's son, as in their dad was a superstar. Stan Love for example Ave 6.6 ppg and Joe Bryant was just a role player. I wasn't watching Bball in 70/80s so that's why I said recent history. The superstar sons iirc are the Jordan kids, Zaire Wade, Shaq's son, Scottie Pippen Jr, GP3 etc
Oh fair. It's definitely interesting to consider how the sons of superstars perform relative to the sons of role-players.
Bronny is similar to Tim Hardaway Jr, with possibly better defense by time he (or if) makes the league, which is a decent serviceable player, if he grows two to three more inches that would do wonders for the young bull
