The hottest NBA rookie this season is Bronny James (20, 187 cm tall). The media is focusing on Bronny, and he is drawing attention as a hot potato even among fans. Those who do not know the situation could be embarrassed. While the French duo of Zachary Lissasher (19, 207 cm) and Alex Sarr (19, 212.7 cm), who were nominated first and second, respectively, are quiet, the player who was nominated 55th overall is dominating all kinds of spotlights.
It’s certainly not a normal situation. Of course, there’s no way not to make a fuss about your low ranking. Although he’s not ranked, he can quickly become Cinderella if he performs well beyond the top nominees with tremendous skill. However, that is something to prove with the start of the season and performance. With the draft just over and expectations differing, no one has demonstrated their skills. The stage to prove it has yet to be played, and time has to wait.
There is only one reason why he is attracting attention at this point. He is the son of LeBron James, 40, 204.5 centimeters tall and the best star in the world. LeBron openly promoted the merits of picking Bronny through the media, such as “I want to play with my son” and “If there is a team that nominates a son, that will be my next destination.”
Recruitment of Bronny is not just one low-ranking prospect but one “+LeBron,” which has an unenviable effect. Although his heyday is passing by, LeBron is still one of the best aces in the league. As for Bronny himself, he is just a player who may or may not be selected as a lower-ranked player, but LeBron has caused him to worry. 동행복권파워볼
It would have been especially true for LeBron’s Lakers. LeBron’s refusal to recruit Bronny as he openly expressed his paternal love could mean that he is not interested in accompanying him afterwards. After all, the Lakers used his pick as expected. It was literally a chance for his father. What if it were in Korea? Chances are high that it would have been a chaos. However, in the U.S., they are not taking issue with this issue, and rather focus seems to be on the story of the father and son playing for the same team.
However, the U.S. is also a world where people live. Unlike Korea’s sentiment, many people there regard Bronny’s nomination as a “privilege” and “cowardly move.” Bronny must be aware of this. As if to be aware of this, he said, “I have seen countless rumors on social media and the Internet that I do not deserve an opportunity. But I don’t care. Nothing has changed. I can overcome pressure. I want to make my name known to myself,” he said at a press conference.
Of course, the best outcome is for Bronny to grow into a good player. It will be as difficult as his father, who was considered one of the greatest talents since his debut, but the Lakers are likely to be satisfied even if he can establish himself as a regular starting member of a single team. No, he is a very good still pick except for LeBron’s name.
Heo Woong (31, 183.5 centimeters), one of the most popular KBL stars in Korea, is in a very different situation from Bronny’s, but he is setting a precedent in that he overcame various pressure of evaluation through efforts. Heo is a typical hard worker. He was selected as the fifth player in the first round in the 2014 draft, and he was able to do rotary pick depending on situations. He was not top-notch, but his team’s main talent was recognized.
However, expectations for him seemed to demand more than what he was showing. This is because his father was Heo Jae, the best technician in the history of Korean basketball, and his younger brother was Heo Hoon (29, 180cm), who is also famous for his crazy talent. Whether he liked it or not, it was a very burdensome environment because he had to be constantly compared. If he had been a player with weak mentality, he would have been adversely affected by those things.
As a result, however, he overcame it. He continued to grow every season, leading his team to win the championship title and winning the MVP award in the championship game, and now he has become an uncontested player no matter when he is selected for the national team. Unfortunately, he is under fire for his unsavory incident, but no one can deny his overcoming story.
The spotlight is brief. No matter how much Bronny is in the spotlight as LeBron’s son, if he does not show even the least amount of performance, attention can return to poison. He must be well aware of this. No matter how considerate his team is and how much his father teaches him, he must make an effort to grow in the end. Attention is focusing on whether Bronny will be able to remove his father’s halo and reveal his presence.