USC Basketball: Hall Of Famer With NBA Son Unpacks Scrutiny On Bronny James
USC Trojans freshman guard Bronny James is doing his darnedest to carve out his own basketball identity, separate from his father, 20-time All-Star Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
Though Bronny does not necessarily project as an NBA immortal, there are few who do, and he does still look like he has the makings of being a legitimate long-term pro.
The Bronny-LeBron dynamic is not one unique to the James family.
Hall of Fame former NBA guard Tim Hardaway Sr. recently spoke with The Ringer's Mirin Fader about how his son, current swingman Tim Hardaway Jr., dealt with being the progeny of an All-Star and trying to make his own mark.
“It’s terrible, to tell you the truth,” he says. “It’s terrible for them because they get scrutinized, and everybody comes after them thinking that they could take it. … You want to keep them away from all their scrutiny that comes their way.” He pauses. “You can’t. That’s the frustrating part about it. No matter what you do, you can’t get that off them.”
“It gets brutal out there,” says Hardaway Sr. “I just tell guys … like LeBron, Carmelo [whose son, Kiyan Anthony, is a top prep prospect in the 2025 class] … I tell ’em, I say, you got to try to stay positive with your kids, make them understand you’re going to grow from this and get better. It is going to make you stronger. Don’t let this get you down.”
