Stephen Jackson took offense to Austin Rivers' rationale behind why LeBron and Bronny shouldn't play on the same team if Bronny makes the move to the NBA. "Difference is you trash, Bronny not. You can't compare to him scrub. And your daddy not LeBron. Shut up," Jackson wrote in the comments on an Instagram post reporting Rivers' comments on ESPN. It's a bizarre reaction given that Rivers had been arguing that Bronny doesn't need the added obstacle of playing in his father's shadow. "I don't want to see Bronny play with [LeBron]... Him getting drafted & playing with his dad, I don't want that negativity to come his way. He doesn't deserve it... [He needs to] play somewhere where he can niche out his own identity," Rivers told NBA Today.
Furthermore, despite Jackson's passionate defense, Bronny has not exactly been living up to expectations at the college level. While his sidelining due to a congenital heart issue must be acknowledged, Bronny has struggled to elevate his game. Bronny is currently averaging 5.9/2.9/2.6 off the bench for a floundering USC squad. His draft projection has gone from late first-round to being omitted from many mock drafts entirely. As much as Jackson may like Bronny, there is not a lot going on game nights to back up the defense.
Where Will Bronny James End Up?
It's widely expected that if Bronny James doesn't become a Laker this summer, LeBron will decline his player option year and follow his son to a new team. Prior to Bronny's struggles at USC, one potentially floated destination was being drafted by Atlanta. One person who seemed excited by this was Hawks star Trae Young. Last summer, in response to an NBA Central post hypothesizing a LeBron-Bronny partnership on the Hawks, Young tweeted "Talk soon" in response. This immediately set off the rumor mill that the Hawks might push for a LeBron trade.
However, for the time being, LeBron is seeing out the year in LA. "LeBron won't be traded, and we aren't asking to be," Rich Paul said in response to growing speculation that LeBron might be leaving the Lakers midseason. Of course, LeBron hasn't helped quiet the rumors. Following a Lakers loss last week, LeBron posted an hourglass emoji to social media.
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