LeBron James is used to hearing MVP chants, but on Thursday night, it was his son Bronny’s turn to hear them. The 20-year-old received some playing time in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 134-96 win over the Washington Wizards, impressing with five points, including a tough and-one bucket that got his father out of his seat.
Bronny, the 55th pick of last year’s NBA Draft, has struggled to find his footing in the pros, entering Thursday’s contest with a 1-for-16 shooting record and averaging fewer than five points per game in his lone season at USC. However, he’s seen an uptick in playing time in the Lakers’ last two games, logging 27 minutes in total.
Despite the progress, some critics have questioned whether LeBron’s influence has held back Bronny’s development. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith took aim at the NBA star on Wednesday’s “First Take,” saying, “I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this. Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad.”
The tongue-in-cheek “MVP” chants that rang out during the Lakers’ win were likely meant to be sarcastic, but they still brought a smile to the faces of those in attendance. The Lakers, meanwhile, improved to 27-19 with the win, good for fifth place in the Western Conference, and will face a tough test on Saturday night when they visit the third-place Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
