Bronny James’ lackluster start to his NBA career has been one of the most brutal running jokes in the basketball community. But Stephon Marbury, who’s a notorious critic of LeBron James, has rushed to his son’s defense. He reminded naysayers of the two clear advantages that the 20-year-old has to eventually thrive.
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Marbury pointed out the obvious during an appearance on Whistle’s “New York Minute” podcast. Bronny is the son of LeBron James. Learning, while being on the same team as the greatest player of all time, will inevitably improve his game. Additionally, the youngster also has access to resources and personnel that no other can have.
“Bronny has something that none of the people that are playing basketball has. He has his father and he has the ultimate staff of people that can constantly teach him and make sure that he stays up the park if he really wants to do that,” Marbury stated.
The New York Knicks legend proceeded to display his faith in the youngster, claiming that Bronny did have the potential to silence all the naysayers eventually.
“The kid is bouncy, he’s smart, he knows how to play, he understands the game, he has a smart father. He’s in a really good position and a good spot for people to actually wait and watch and see if this rose can really grow through concrete,” the 47-year-old said.
Marbury is one of the very few supporters genuinely rooting for Bronny’s success. But his well-wishes don’t come as a surprise. He’s previously defended the 6ft 2” guard from critics.
Marbury stood up for Bronny during the 2023-2024 college basketball season
Bronny James had a subpar stint with the USC Trojans during his lone college basketball season (2023-2024). Missing a large part of the season due to a health scare, James played merely 21 games till March. In this span, the two-way player recorded 5.1 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game.
A large part of the basketball community was trolling Bronny. But Stephon Marbury represented the group of people who still had faith in the youngster’s capabilities.
“First, I think that Bronny is a pro. He’s playing 20 minutes, which is half the game in college. I think he needs to play more to be able to make more mistakes, needs to have the opportunity to really show his ability,” said Marbury.
Following some underwhelming performances, Bronny delivered an inspiring 16-point performance during the South Bay Lakers’ victory over the San Diego Clippers. Now, he must build on this momentum and validate Marbury’s statements.
