Boston Celtics star and NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown took to X on Tuesday to respond to a viral video that showed him appearing to cast doubts on Bronny James’ ability to thrive in the NBA.
According to USA TODAY, the NBA champion seemingly touched on the Los Angeles Lakers rookie’s basketball prowess during a conversation with WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick at an NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas. The pair were also seated courtside with WNBA rookie Angel Reese.
And though the conversation between Brown, 27, and Gondrezick, 26, wasn’t audible in the viral video, lip-readers managed to decipher what was said. And the topic appeared to be about LeBron James’ son.
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“I don’t think Bronny (James) is a pro,” Brown appears to tell Gondrezick in the video. “I think he’ll be on the G-league team for sure,” Gondrezick replies. Brown subsequently replies by saying, “I don’t think so, I think because of his name he’ll be on the Lakers.”
But Brown on Tuesday retracted his comments in a post on X after the video made rounds. “It’s a flex to have your son alongside you in the nba it reflects greatness and longevity!” he quoted on the video. “Bronny has all the tools around him to be successful I look forward to watching his growth.”
It’s a flex to have your son alongside you in the nba it reflects greatness and longevity !Bronny has all the tools around him to be successful I look forward to watching his growth https://t.co/qO4muFSvrn
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) July 16, 2024
Bronny, 19, has yet to hit the ground running with his performances for the Lakers in the Summer League. During Monday night’s 88-74 loss against the Celtics, the rookie scored two points and recorded three rebounds and one assist. He also recorded three fouls and two turnovers, per The U.S. Sun.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, there’s no doubt all eyes are going to be on Bronny this upcoming NBA season. And that’s particularly because of his Los Angeles Lakers teammate and superstar father LeBron James.
After the Los Angeles Lakers – one of the most successful NBA franchises in history – drafted the 19-year-old with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft, Bronny quickly came under scrutiny, with questions being asked about his ability and his father’s supposed role in him being ultimately selected by the team.
But during an introductory press conference at the Lakers practice facility on July 2, Bronny emphasized that he’s focused on improving his game. He also said that the thought of playing alongside his father – who is the league’s all-time scorer, a four-time champion, and a future Hall of Famer – never really crossed his mind.
“I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad,” Bronny said, per NBC Sports. “That’s always there to take part of, but it wasn’t a main focus of mine.”
Bronny during the press conference also touched on how he’s going to deal with the inevitable pressure. “It’s for sure amplified the amount of pressure,” he said.
“I’ve already seen it on social media and on the internet talking about I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life. It’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure, but I can get through it.”
