Is anybody else getting tired of these “nepo babies” or is it just me?
Celebrities like the Kardashians, Jaden Smith, Coi Leray often get talked about in the media, and some people think they only got successful because of their parents.
Recently, I was tuning into the new NBA season and a particular player popped up out of nowhere, and this player was Bronny James.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Bronny James doesn’t show promise as a young basketball player, however, his current skill level isn’t even close to NBA level. His shooting, playmaking, and defensive capabilities aren’t currently ready for the NBA, and he needs to work on them desperately.
His pre-season stats were not all that good either, as he averaged 4.2 PTS, 1.7 REB, and 0.3 AST. This is not enough for him to officially “thrive” in the real game. If I’m truly being honest he really should have stayed in college for another year or two if he wanted to be NBA level.
The pressure of being Lebron’s son isn’t great on him either. Since he is the son of one of the greatest basketball players of all time, he gets a lot of extra pressure put on him and his game.
The media also doesn’t help him in any way, since they are too focused on him instead of players that were drafted in the top ten. Honestly, think to yourself, when was the last time you heard somebody talk about the top 10 draft picks? Do you even know their names? Do you know what their pre-season stats are?
Even former superstars see that the media is way too focused on him. Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas said that “other players in a similar draft position aren’t judged as harshly.” However, he did say some good things about Bronny’s social media presence.
Arenas pointed out that he has more followers than Patrick Mahomes. The simple fact of that is truly unbelievable. How does somebody who just got drafted to the NBA become more popular on social media than a three-time NFL champion? The real answer is because of his father. Lebron has always shown Bronny off to the media, and Bronny has embraced the popularity that he gained from being the son of Lebron.
Bronny James is a good basketball player, but the only reason he’s been given his chances is because of his father. I hope Bronny turns out to be a good player, but it will probably take at least five more years, and he could have spent that time taking a couple of extra years in college and getting his education in case basketball doesn’t work out.
Nepotism is never going to end, but it is something we should be on the lookout for, and children of stars need to make sure they are doing what is right for them, not their parents. If they do decide to go down that road, they should at least have a backup plan in case it doesn’t work out. For Bronny’s sake, I hope this all works for him.