It is no secret that Bronny James ' first year in the league was nothing to write home about. In 27 appearances for the Los Angeles Lakers , he averaged only 2.3 points on atrocious 31.3 percent shooting from the field. And honestly, who could blame him?
The expectations that were immediately placed on him for being the son of one of the greatest (if not the greatest) basketball players of all time carry significant weight that sometimes feels impossible to handle. Just imagine, every time he plays, practices or whatever he goes for that matter, he is put in an unwanted spotlight, which makes it even more challenging to succeed. And when every bad play is put under the lens and replayed on social media for weeks to follow. It sounds horrifying.
However, not everything is so dark for Bronny.
The first year is in the books, and there is likely no going down from here. That's exactly what Matt Barnes thinks as well, even going a step further in his prediction for LeBron 's son, saying that fans shouldn't be surprised if he blossoms into an All-Star caliber player.
"I think Bronny… Bronny is tough from a standpoint of he is always going to be compared to his day. Obviously, LeBron 's son is both a gift and a curse," Barnes said in his recent appearance on the "BigBoyTV."
"I think Bronny is going to be a very solid player in this league. Will he be a superstar like his dad? Probably not. But, I wouldn't doubt that he has a chance to be an All-Star or Sixth Man of the Year. He is a very smart, talented player, who plays basketball the right way. He is someone that I think he could have used another year or two in college," he added.
For a reminder, Bronny was the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and from the moment his name was called, many started questioning if he even met the standards of players in the Association, or if he was only there because of his superstar dad. It was a legit argument there that he was there only to boost his father's legacy and bring home another narrative to talk about. It was an interesting way to start your professional career.
However, James Jr. did everything in his power to keep those narratives away, working in the G-League affiliate, putting in the hours and trying to prove his worth in those limited NBA opportunities.
Barnes made it clear that the 6'2" guard was rushed into the greatest league in the world, and that another year or two in college would have benefited him. College could have been the perfect setting to continue sharpening his overall game and grow into a leader without the overwhelming shadow of constant "King's son scrutiny." But instead, Bronny had to learn on the fly, in the most difficult basketball environment there is. And the NBA is indeed a different beast, which leaves only the toughest around.
Let's be honest — Bronny will never reach the levels of his father, and that's completely okay. Probably, nobody ever will. What he needs to do is carve out his own path, build his own identity, and focus on maximizing his strengths. He is on the lower side of the scale in terms of size, but he makes up for it with his effort. And now it's about turning those flashes of solid play into consistency.
This upcoming year might be a do-or-die stretch for him in terms of proving he really belongs in the NBA. If not, there's no shame in trying his luck elsewhere, overseas or back in the developmental ranks, just as countless other players before him have done. What we need to do is ease off the "heir to the throne" narrative. But if he's allowed to grow at his own pace, without suffocating comparisons, there's no telling how far his own story can go, maybe even for an All-Star berth, like Barnes suggested.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
