Kwame Brown has taken issue with Bronny James' spot on the Los Angeles Lakers' roster amid the third-year guard's diminishing playing time.
The former No. 1 pick argued that James is stealing an opportunity from a more deserving player and that the stature of his father, Philadelphia 76ers star LeBron James, is the only reason the NBA community is willing to accept it.
Brown's criticism came as the second-round pick has struggled to get on the court early in the 2026-27 season, logging just 11 minutes over the Lakers' first eight games. But fans were quick to push back, with many pointing to Brown's own career shortcomings.
Brown, who played for the Lakers from 2005 to 2008, called out the younger James for failing to meet the standard expected of NBA players.
"This is the National Basketball Association. This ain't for the little boys and wimps. This is a professional, and what I saw, I just don't get it," Brown said on Wednesday's edition of his YouTube show "Kwame Brown Bust Life."
"It's mind-blowing how somebody lost a job to that. Some kid that worked their butt off, that really feel like they could have made the NBA, they lost their job to that."
The No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, James averaged 2.9 points per game across 42 appearances last season, taking strides as an outside shooter (38.6%). Still, questions remained about the defensive-oriented guard's inconsistent offense and limited shot creation.
This season, the 22-year-old appeared in four of LA's first eight outings, failing to crack JJ Redick's rotation in the other four, while averaging 1.0 ppg on 2-for-3 shooting overall (66.7%).
"And the only reason why everybody's okay with it is because of his father," Brown added. "This is a shame what we actually are seeing. Call it hate, call it whatever you want. To me, it's a shame."
James played alongside his father over his first two seasons before the 22-time All-Star departed to Philadelphia over the offseason in search of greener pastures.
Several fans turned the criticism back on Brown, pointing to his own NBA résumé and the expectations that came with being a No. 1 pick. The 44-year-old is widely regarded as a historic draft bust, having averaged a modest 6.6 ppg across 12 seasons.
"One of the biggest busts in NBA history trynna talk basketball," one fan quipped .
Another chimed in, "You were the #1 pick btw."
"Bronny is already a better player than Kwame Brown," another fan asserted.
Other fans took aim at Brown's credibility. One questioned his motives for bringing the elder James into the discussion:
"His only way to stay relevant is to bash LeBron and his son. Just sad."
"Can basketball players have CTE?" sports media personality Cuffs The Legend asked.
"Some names are just an automatic ignore," one fan wrote, dismissing the take entirely.
Needing to trim their roster from 16 players with guaranteed contracts to the NBA's 15-player limit, the Lakers waived sharpshooter Dalton Knecht on Oct. 19 and kept James. The latter is in the third year of the four-year, $7.9 million rookie contract he signed in 2024, which initially raised eyebrows.
The Lakers hold a team option worth $2.5 million for the 2027-28 campaign, so the roster question Brown raised is one the front office will face again before next season.
Until then, James' minutes could remain scarce under Redick in the post-LeBron era.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
