Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James went full dad mode on Monday via Twitter/X.
James came to his son’s defense following recent, pessimistic 2024 mock drafts about his son, USC guard Bronny James, and his projections on where he would land.
“Can yall please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball. The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y’all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!”
—LeBron James, via X
“And to all the other kids out there striving to be great just keep your head down, blinders on and keep grinding. These Mock Drafts doesn’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE!”
—LeBron James, via X
LeBron chimes in on Bronny's critics and mock draft placing pic.twitter.com/74DwLSpJsN
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 26, 2024
The 20-time All-Star was very vocal about this topic but later deleted this pair of tweets. It’s unclear why he deleted the tweets.
The four-time champion initially responded to a report that ESPN had removed Bronny from its 2024 mock draft and now projected him to be selected in the 2025 draft.
James, 19, is in his freshman year at USC, averaging 5.5 points on 37.1% shooting, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 19 games this season. Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest during a USC practice in July and was cleared to play months later. He made his college debut in early December.
His numbers don’t scream NBA player, let alone an NBA draft pick. Nonetheless, he will be in the conversation as a draft pick due to LeBron’s desire to play with his son. It’s unclear whether Bronny will jump to the next level as he’s currently focused on USC.
However, there’s a good chance that he decides to go pro whether or not he’s ready. The four-time MVP will always come to his son’s defense.