{"id":87427,"date":"2024-07-25T19:09:12","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T23:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=87427"},"modified":"2024-07-25T19:09:12","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T23:09:12","slug":"lakers-bronny-james-summer-league-teammate-speaks-out-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/07\/25\/lakers-bronny-james-summer-league-teammate-speaks-out-protest\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers\u2019 Bronny James Hit By Friendly Fire After Summer League"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James<\/a> has been a lightning rod for criticism.<\/p>\n

This in part due to the fact that his father has been one of the most polarizing players in basketball for well over a decade. As the son of a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA MVP, there\u2019s a level of attention he attracts that others simply won\u2019t.<\/p>\n

However, James\u2019s on-court performance has been the source of controversy as well. The jury is out on whether or not the 19-year-old will have a fruitful career. He wouldn\u2019t be the first or last son of professional player who didn\u2019t. Yet, there\u2019s added pressure on James. Not only is he the son of the face of the NBA, there\u2019s a sense that he\u2019s only even in the league because of his father.<\/p>\n

The debate has raged on across television and social media. It\u2019s been such a constant that it\u2019s almost become white noise. That being said, nobody expected there to be friendly fire.<\/p>\n

Lakers\u2019 Bronny James Hit By Friendly Fire After Summer League<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe attention he attracted (during Summer League) was \u2018very frustrating\u2019 for the players to see, and his alleged star treatment caused friction among the team<\/a>\u2026,\u201d reports The U.S. Sun\u2019s Steve Brenner and Damian Burchardt.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of tension didn\u2019t help the group of players to build chemistry…<\/p>\n

And you could feel that there was no unity [between] this group of guys as Bronny was the main guy and the others didn\u2019t feel that it was right, that he deserved that.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The anonymous source adds that they have \u201cnothing against\u201d James. However, one of James\u2019s teammates admits that \u201cwith \u2018almost everything centered around Bronny,\u2019 it was tough to enjoy hooping.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, he was treated as someone apart, not like all of us\u2026,\u201d he continues. \u201cWe didn\u2019t feel any chemistry in this group of players\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

“I ended up being very frustrated because I was never put in the best situation, or even put in some plays or game plans because they wanted Bronny to show his skills and shine,” he said.<\/p>\n

Earned Not Given?<\/h3>\n

\u201cI ended up being very frustrated because I was never put in the best situation\u2026 because they wanted Bronny to show his skills and shine,\u201d James\u2019s Summer League teammate explains.<\/p>\n

The spectacle was so off-putting that he and others were counting down the seconds until they could leave Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you talk to any other player that was part of the (Summer League) roster\u2026 most of them would tell you the same thing.<\/p>\n

The tensions were visible, and pretty much we were all thinking about the end of the Summer League to get out of here and focus on our next step in our careers.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To reiterate, the crux of their issue was that there were multiple players whose opportunities were limited by James\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n

While feeling \u201ca bit bad\u201d for the 19-year-old after his courageous comeback from cardiac arrest, they have lives and ambitions as well. Even more to the point, they don\u2019t have a highly influential megastar for a parent; someone that can pull strings for them. More than the son of the man who made the phrase popular, their opportunities have to be earned, not given.<\/p>\n

Nobody can fault James for who is father is. Nobody can blame him for Lakers president Jeanie Buss and vice president Rob Pelinka trying anything to get his father to re-sign, including drafting him<\/a>. Furthermore, like them, James legitimately wants to have a successful NBA career.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, when trying to build a championship-contender, a team\u2019s goal should be maximizing the talent base<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This can be achieved through evaluation, acquisition, or development. However, being overly eager about showcasing a single young player isn\u2019t a pathway to a title. Not when that player averaged 4.8 points per game on 36.6 percent shooting from the field the previous season. Not when said player would\u2019ve probably gone undrafted if not for his namesake.<\/p>\n

Who Didn\u2019t Get A Fair Shake?<\/h3>\n

Looking at the Lakers guards who didn\u2019t get much of a chance during Summer League, two players stand out.<\/p>\n

Kyle Mangas<\/h4>\n

Kyle Mangas played 12 total minutes, all in the span of one game. This is surprising because Mangas averaged 28.2 points and 1.9 steals per game on 58.1 percent shooting in his last two college seasons. Last season, he played for the Indiana Mad Ants, the Indiana Pacers\u2019 G League affiliate. In 34 games, he averaged 17.9 points and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field.<\/p>\n