Former Grizzlies Star Bluntly Claims Bronny James Hasn’t Done Enough To Be Drafted To An NBA Team Without Being LeBron’s Son

Bronny James recently found a breakthrough after receiving the green light to be a part of the 2024 NBA draft class. However, this failed to convince Chandler Parsons of his quality as a basketball player. The former Memphis Grizzlies star openly claimed that LeBron James’ influence boosted the youngster’s chances, raising the eyebrows of the fans.

In the latest episode of Run It Back, Parsons elaborated on both sides of the coin. On one hand, he applauded Bronny’s athleticism and untapped potential as a young player. On the other hand, the 35-year-old outlined the shortcomings of the teenager’s college career, raising questions about his recent selection.

Expressing his viewpoint, Parsons mentioned, “He [Bronny James] hasn’t even come close to reaching his potential. But with that being said, he also hasn’t done enough to be drafted to an NBA team without being Bronny James.”

Despite the concerns, the former NBA player remained confident of the bottom-ranked franchises attempting to draft Bronny. He discussed how it could provide them with an opportunity to also sign James, enhancing the roster’s quality in the process.

Thus, Parsons believed that Bronny & Co. had already met several franchises before entering the draft, stating, “There’s no way he is in the draft without a deal in place. There’s no way that they don’t have some sort of idea what teams are interested, who Rich Paul has already talked to, who LeBron James has already talked to.”

His comments heavily devalued the abilities of Bronny as an up-and-coming athlete. It also added volume to the clouds of judgment around the teenager, even before he received the opportunity to step on an NBA court.

Consequently, from here on out, Bronny is left with only one option – to win over the doubters with his display. Interestingly, the 19-year-old is busy doing precisely this.

Bronny James impresses at the Combine

The Akron-born failed to flourish as a freshman at the USC Trojans. Several believed that the college team had limited his capabilities as a backcourt player. However, the 2024 NBA draft Combine has given him the chance to rewrite the storyline, and he is doing exactly that.

As per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the youngster majorly impressed the trainers during the three-point shooting drills. Bronny went 19-25 from the deep, with a field goal percentage of remarkable 76%. Out of all the participants, he ranked second in this contest, displaying glimpses of his ability to influence the game.

Following this, the 19-year-old garnered attention during the vertical jump drill. Despite standing at 6ft 2″, Bronny came up with a 40.5-inch max vertical jump, as per Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney.

The untapped potential Parsons referred to, might just be coming out at the Combine. However, even after getting selected, Bronny’s chances of regularly playing in the NBA remain slim. The teenager could turn out to be an athletic rotation player in the league during his initial years.

Yet, it could buy him the time he requires to develop his game further. After all, hailing from the James household, he certainly has high ambitions for his career.