Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, won't be going on the road with the South Bay Lakers in the G League this year.
Though his parents, LeBron and Savannah, seem wholly content with that decision, former NFL player Ryan Clark has publicly criticized it, challenging the younger James to become a more grinding, self-improving athlete.
Pro Sports Aren't About Privilege
Speaking on The Pivot Podcast, Clark drove the point home that professional sports are about contribution, not pedigree. He's worried that being limited in participation may limit Bronny's chances of coming into his own.
"Professional sports is about how well you can contribute. And you don't get treated differently because of your parents, you get treated differently because of your ability to contribute," Clark said.
Clark urged Bronny to dive headfirst into the full scope of a G League experience and absorb it all, including traveling with the team and taking on as much adversity as possible.
"If I'm Bronny James... I'm begging Rich Paul, I'm begging JJ Redick, I'm begging my father, please let me travel with this team," Clark continued. "Please let me stay at the Courtyard Marriot. Please let me fly commercial. Please let me go somewhere where I'ma get up more than six shots in three games. To not only prove it to my organization that I'm worthy of being on this team, but to my damn self."
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Bronny's Journey: Prove Yourself or Rely on Legacy?
Clark noted, though, that he instilled a sense of carving out an identity for himself separate from his famous father. He even fears that without completely embracing the intimidations of professional sports, Bronny will forever be in LeBron's massive shadow.
"Because in the end, all of these accomplishments are gonna be for LeBron James," Clarke said. "Bronny James is going to have money but he ain't gonna have the one thing that all of us ever want (which) is prove to ourselves. That's what I wanted. I wanted to walk off the field and be like, 'Man, they didn't draft me and they cut me but look at me now.'"
Clark's Personal Experience Drives His Perspective
Ryan Clark bases his attack on personal experience. The ex-NFL safety had to face serious adversities in his playing career, including being unselected during the draft in 2002 and overcoming a grave medical condition in 2007.
Despite all this, he had a 13-year career and even was selected for a Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl.
Clark used his journey as a precursor to what it takes to overcome doubt and adversity and motivated Bronny to tread a similar path of relentless perseverance.
Bronny's Early G League Struggles
Bronny got off to a rough beginning in the G League with only 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists across his first two games. According to critics such as Clark, opting out of road games may not give him enough opportunities to prove himself.
His latest G League performance limited him to just four points. It appears that the presence of LeBron did not boost him.
Back in October, Charles Barkley said that Bronny should be in the G League because he's still not ready to play. It turns out that the NBA Hall of Famer was right all along.
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