When the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bronny James, the reactions were as divisive as they come. Although millions worldwide celebrated that LeBron James would get to realize his lifelong dream of being his son’s teammate, a vocal section of fans was quick to slam the decision. Suddenly, Bronny was at the center of a firestorm of criticism.
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People accused LeBron of nepotism, called out Bronny’s privilege, and some even questioned whether he has the skills required to be an athlete. For nearly a year, Bronny has worked on his game and has silenced some haters.
However, the argument is far from over. Fortunately, there are former teammates of LeBron and influential NBA figures who have wholeheartedly supported Bronny being drafted by LA. Iman Shumpert, who played alongside James during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2016 championship run, recently addressed the hate being thrown Bronny’s way.
During his conversation with TT Torrez, Shumpert explained why people hate the father-son duo. He said, “Cuz they ain’t in the NBA, and they can’t put their son there. That’s why you mad.” To further detail how the hatred stems from jealousy, he referred to an example of the late, great Kobe Bryant.
He said that players were mad at Kobe for lifting his fist up in celebration after hitting a game-winning shot. “We all wanted to do that. We did it in our backyard. It’s just Kobe did it on the court and it counted. So, now, it was something for me to hate on. I was hating, but I realized why I was hating cuz I wanted to do it,” he added.
Shumpert said that fathers, in their respective fields, do things for their kids all the time, but no one bats an eye.
Iman Shumpert has had high praise for LeBron James’ son
Shumpert has been in Bronny’s corner throughout the media scrutiny. He was one of the most notable figures standing by the father-son duo when Bronny was about to make his NBA debut. During an interview with RG in October 2024, he supported the Lakers’ decision to draft Bronny. He said, “The boy can play basketball, he can play with his weapons.”
“I just watched the kid play this summer. I watched him play, and all I could think was, if anybody else was making these mistakes, it’s all part of being a rookie,” Shump continued.“You’re all doing this because he’s LeBron’s kid, and he’s supposed to be perfect, but he’s not.”
“Once we all get over that and we accept that his career is going to be a good career, whether anybody likes it or not, he’s going to be a good professional,” Shumpert added. Over time, Bronny has proved that he has a lot of potential, and in the coming years, we will see the best version of him.
