Of all the people online who have called out the media attention that Bronny James has received, nobody has been louder than Kwame Brown. The former Wizards center has vociferously argued that the rookie selection in the draft wasn’t based on merit and has repeatedly said that he only has a roster spot because he’s LeBron James’ son.
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This time, he’s gone in on former teammate Gilbert Arenas, saying he is part of the problem and has contributed to Bronny receiving undeserved attention. In a long and fiery monologue, Brown said,
“The light does not come from people wanting to see him succeed or people wanting to see him fail. The light comes from ESPN, you (Gilbert Arenas), First Take, and all of you m*****f*****s that keep talking about a 55th pick. The light came from his daddy, the light came from the NBA, making sure a 2nd round pick gets on television, the light came from all of you guys creating this light.”
He then claimed that Arenas vehemently defends Bronny’s performances because he was his trainer. He poked fun at the former Wizards guard and said he wanted to be “Hibachi 2.0,” which is why he often talks about the rookie on his show.
He also compared LeBron James to Homelander, a tyrannical character from the TV show ‘The Boys’, and hinted that he has much control and power over the NBA. He alluded to the four-time NBA champion pulling some strings to ensure his son got a spot on the roster. He continued his attack on Bronny and said people don’t care about him as a player. Brown claimed,
“You just explained how he got the light and it was through his dada. That’s why people are talking about him. Cos he don’t deserve what he got.”
Brown’s sour relationship with Arenas is well documented. For the uninformed, the two played on the Wizards together when he was drafted first overall in 2001. Their feud started when the center alleged that the guard went behind his back and requested the coaching staff to play him less since he was not living up to his potential.
To this day, Arenas denies Brown’s accusations, believing he was being scapegoated to explain his former teammate’s struggles on the court. As for the retired center’s vitriolic hate for James Jr., many believe this may stem from the fact that the media critiqued him heavily for struggling in his rookie year and dismissing him as a player.
Brown averaged 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in his debut campaign and is largely remembered as one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. While he’s right in claiming that the spotlight has been shining bright on Bronny, it hasn’t been all roses and sunshine.
Bronny James is the most scrutinized 55th pick in NBA history
Bronny is inarguably the most talked-about rookie from the 2024 draft class. The guard has been under the microscope since his Summer League debut and has been heavily critiqued for his disappointing numbers.
Bronny hasn’t been treated like an average late-second-round pick, who needs time to work on his skills and develop into a good player. Some accused him of stealing a roster spot from a more deserving player, which is an unnecessary thing to say about a 19-year-old.
The Lakers have sent him down to the G-League to work on his game and give him a break from the relentless scrutiny. However, there is no doubt that his performance for the South Bay Lakers will be a point of discussion on talk shows, as the media continues to talk more about the 55th overall pick in the draft than they ever did about first or second.
