On the latest episode of The Ringer’s The Off Guard Podcast, Austin Rivers and his co-host Pausha Haghighi spoke about the potential of Bronny James. Several enthusiasts are holding onto surreal expectations of Bronny to become a star in the NBA, with the virtue of his father being LeBron James. However, Rivers was more realistic when talking about the USC star’s future in the NBA.
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Several naysayers are of the opinion that Bronny James is overhyped as he’s the son of LeBron James and wouldn’t make it to the NBA. However, Austin Rivers belongs to the group of supporters who displayed their faith in the teenager’s chances of making it to the league. According to Rivers, considering his shooting, athleticism, and defensive abilities, the 6ft 4” guard can have a positive impact on a successful franchise.
“Bronny James, I have no doubt he can play in the NBA… Bronny, we know can shoot, he’s athletic, and can defend, and he has a high IQ and knows how to play on winning teams,” Austin Rivers claimed.
However, the NBA star revealed his honest expectations from Bronny. Unlike a majority of others, the 31-year-old believed that the athletic guard would make a solid role player on a title-contending franchise such as the Boston Celtics, rather than the lead star. As per the combo guard, expecting James to perform at the same level as Ja Morant and Jayson Tatum would be downright illogical.
“I’m not drafting Bronny James to be Ja Morant. It’s not him. I’m not drafting him to be Jayson Tatum. That’s not him… That’s not why you draft Bronny James. A team like Boston… a team like Miami… a team like Milwaukee or Denver drafts Bronny James,” Rivers said.
Austin Rivers isn’t inaccurate with his take. Bronny James hasn’t been one of the best players in his class. In fact, the Sierra Canyon guard was merely a four-star recruit who had a subpar high school career, as he averaged 14.2 points and 5.5 rebounds as a senior.
Playing for the USC Trojans at the collegiate level, there are several better prospects than Bronny on his own team. And after the unfortunate cardiac arrest that he suffered in July of 2023, there has been an evident dip in Bronny’s production.
Coming off the bench and playing merely 17.9 minutes per game, James’ stats aren’t exactly appealing – 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Based on his recent performance, it isn’t surprising to see the teenager’s draft stock take a massive hit. As things stand, several mock drafts have touted Bronny to be a mid-second-round pick. That said, despite all the negatives, there are quite a few positives to take into account as well.
With each passing game, James’s confidence has evidently risen, a trend that shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. Combine that with his physical gifts and natural feel for the game, and it won’t be long before fans see him climb up draft boards once again.
Austin Rivers previously commented on the NIL worth of Bronny James
This isn’t the first time that Austin Rivers has passed any remark on Bronny James. During the latter’s final year in high school, the then-Minnesota Timberwolves point guard commented on Bronny’s net worth.
While Bronny might not be the #1 player of his class, being the eldest son of LeBron James has allowed him to gather an immense amount of off-court success. Having NIL (name, image, and likeliness) deals with high-profile brands such as PSD Underwear, Beats By Dre, and Nike, among others, Bronny was worth $7 million while being a high school senior.
Now, Austin Rivers was ranked as the #1 high school player during his era. Because NIL deals didn’t exist during his high school years, Rivers seemed jealous as he spoke about Bronny’s worth.
“We know why he [Bronny] got that. He got that because he’s the son of LeBron James,” said Austin. “I was the number one player in the country. Bronny’s not even- what is Bronny ranked? There was no fluctuation with me. I was one. I was number one in the country.”
As Bronny’s career progresses, his net worth will only rise as he collects more deals with other brands.
