Bronny James, the eldest son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, has not exactly burst onto the college basketball scene. Following a significant health scare ahead of his first season as a USC Trojan, James has seen limited run in his freshman campaign.
Although many seem to believe that Bronny may not be destined for NBA greatness like his father, there are some who are urging patience with the 18-year-old.
Among that crowd is former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury, who believes that Bronny has a bright future and that his stats at USC are somewhat misleading due to his lack of opportunity on a nightly basis.
“First, I think that Bronny is a pro. He’s playing 20 minutes, which is half the game in college. I think he needs to play more to be able to make more mistakes, needs to have the opportunity to really show his ability,” said Marbury on the Ball Don’t Stop podcast. “Him staying in school for two years is not a bad thing. We’ve got guys like Allen Iverson who played two years in college.”
"Bronny James is a pro. You can't go by stats with him right now because he's only playing half the game. His ability to shoot, get to the rim, pass and block shots is grade A. One more year of college will help."
— Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) March 4, 2024
- Stephon Marbury on Bronny pic.twitter.com/DlOlVJHiAs
Through 21 games, Bronny is averaging just 5.1 points, 2.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 37% from the field and 27.5% from three-point range. Despite those pedestrian numbers, Marbury didn’t seem to possess much doubt about Bronny having a future in the NBA.
“When I look at him as an NBA player, he has all of the qualities. He’s 6' 4", he’s 210, he’s strong. And he will get stronger, he will get better. His dad is one of the greatest basketball players to ever play. He has all of the equipment and he has the tools. Once he puts all those things together, I think he’ll be fine,” said Marbury.
