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[Saba Sports News] Bronny James is doing his best to carve out his own path, but even he admits the constant criticism gets to him.
In a recent interview with Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Lakers rookie opened up about the negativity he receives—and how he uses it as motivation.
“My first thought is always to just let it go in one ear and out the other, keep my head down, and stay positive,” said Bronny. “But sometimes, it fuels me. I see everything people are saying. People think I’m a f—king robot, like I don’t have feelings or emotions.”
Bronny added that the criticism pushes him to work harder: “I just take that and use it as fuel to wake up early, hit the gym, watch film, and get better every day. That’s what Rob [Pelinka] wants me to do—develop in the G League, learn from the bench, and grow.”
At 20 years old, Bronny faces constant accusations of nepotism as the son of LeBron James. Those claims only grew louder when he landed a full roster spot with the Lakers, despite minimal on-court production so far—averaging just 1.6 points and 0.4 assists over 21 appearances, with poor shooting splits. His G League stats (20.6 points, 5.1 assists) are more promising, but he’s still a project by NBA standards.
LeBron hasn’t exactly helped ease the pressure. From steering Bronny to the Lakers to publicly claiming his son was better than “a lot of guys” in the league, he’s unintentionally added fuel to the fire—and put a massive target on Bronny’s back.
Still, Bronny is starting to show some personality and edge. He recently went viral for a savage clapback at a heckler, and it seems he’s channeling the noise into hard work. Time will tell where his NBA journey leads, but one thing is clear: he’s determined to earn his stripes his own way.