“Is He Ready?”: Months Before Bronny’s $7,100,000 NIL Evaluation, LeBron James Asked Gilbert Arenas For a Favor Regarding Son’s NBA Potential

Bronny James recently received a NIL valuation of $7,100,000. This has led to the newest USC Trojan star coming under heavy scrutiny. However, prior to receiving this new valuation, things weren’t that different. Being the son of LeBron James comes with a lot of media attention. And, this greatly bothered King James who wanted to know if his son was ready for all the exposure. So, he enlisted the help of Gilbert Arenas, who gave his verdict in an interview with VladTV prior to Bronny’s USC decision.

The King has made it clear on several occasions that he wants to play with Bronny when he finally gets to the NBA. And, it was this admission that put Bronny under the spotlight. So, worried about this newfound focus on his son, Bron got Agent Zero and perhaps a host of other players to keep an eye on him.

LeBron James got Gilbert Arenas to scout his son Bronny James prior to receiving his $7,100,000 NIL valuation

Gilbert Arenas has become quite a prominent figure in basketball media of late. No Chill Gil is quite vocal about the state of today’s NBA and can be quite critical at times. But, despite this, his knowledge of the game is valued and revered by fans and NBA players alike.

In fact, at one point in time, LeBron James himself approached Arenas for advice. Back when Bronny James was still in middle school, the media was circling like vultures. After all, he is the son of The King and a highly-rated prospect as well. So, LeBron requested Arenas to provide his assessment.

Being the good friend he is, Arenas obliged and went to watch Bronny train. And, after a while, the former Washington Wizards player left impressed. By his assessment, Bronny had it all, athleticism, speed, IQ, passing, shooting, and dribbling, the whole package. As such, when he reported back to The King he made it clear that there is nothing to worry about.

“Me and Bron are talking and he’s like, ‘Hey my son’s gonna be over at the… can you put some eyes on him…let me know!’ Because it was just Bron right, his son’s Bronny and he’s in the media circuit, he’s getting ready to play. So people are gonna start judging him. So as a father your like, ‘Is he ready for this type of scrutiny?’ So I understood what he was saying without him saying it. So I went there, watched his mannerisms… watched his natural raw talent. And, I hit him back and I said, ‘You don’t have nothing to worry about!'”

Since then, Bronny has improved tenfold. And, having recently agreed to play with the USC Trojans, his stock is sure to skyrocket. Making him a shoo-in for the NBA.

Bronny James has come a long way and will be looking to improve further at USC

Bronny James has polished his game over the past few years. And, while he hasn’t gained much in terms of height, his skills have been refined greatly. His IQ, passing, athleticism, shooting, and dribbling have all improved greatly since Gilbert Arenas last saw him. And, having committed to USC, he is sure to blossom even further.

In fact, an ESPN mock draft has Bronny going 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, meaning he will fall to the Atlanta Hawks.

LeBron James will get to play with his son in no time. And, if he does end up in Atlanta, it’s almost certain that King James will be packing his bags for Georgia.