Bronny James is an All-Star…

…Well not exactly, but he is a solid player…

…Well in the G-League, that is!

I’ve refrained from commenting on Bronny because I genuinely wanted to see him succeed. Additionally, I have a deep appreciation for history and get excited when unprecedented moments occur in sports. With that in mind, I found it fascinating that Bronny was drafted by the Lakers, giving him the opportunity to “play” alongside his father.

I will admit, I was glued to the TV on October 6th as Bronny subbed into the Lakers’ preseason game against Phoenix, taking the court with his father for the first time in an NBA game. After that historic moment, the intrigue mostly wore off for me.

Bronny’s stats in NBA games this year have largely shown that the best part of his season, and possibly his career, came and went during that historic moment in that first preseason game.

His stats with the Lakers this year are horrid: 0.6 PPG, 0.5 RPG, and 0.4 APG in 14 games played. To be fair, he is only averaging four minutes per game. The problem is that he hasn’t looked good in those limited minutes.

Despite this, every time he touches the ball, he makes it onto SportsCenter and other sports talk shows—not because of his game, but because of his last name. I take nothing away from him; by all accounts, he works hard and is a good person. However, he is simply not a good NBA player, and he might never be.

That’s okay. My brother and uncles were all pretty good in their day. They played in high school, but I was cut in middle school. My point is that a last name and genetics don’t guarantee success in sports. I worked hard, I was a good person, and I was fast, but I lacked the talent needed to be successful (it didn’t help that I was only 5’5″). It could be that Bronny does too. I’m just saying.

His G-League stats, on the other hand, have been pretty solid—not quite All-Star caliber, but still impressive. In G-League games, he is averaging 16.3 PPG, 4.2 APG, and 4.2 RPG. On January 24th, he dropped 31 points on 10-for-22 shooting from the field, including 5-for-11 from deep. He also had this poster-worthy dunk!

Side note: What’s up with the tissue in his nose in the clip? How embarrassing when you’re caught on camera with tissue hanging from your nose in one of the biggest moments of your career!!! This man can’t catch a break!!!

Considering how well he has performed in the G-League, it seems logical that if he spends the rest of this season—and possibly next—developing his game there, he could eventually become a serviceable NBA player. However, success is not guaranteed.

Take John Stockton’s son, for example—he has spent a decade in the G-League and found great success, yet he has never been able to secure a long-term spot in an NBA rotation.

What do you think? Will Bronny become a long-term NBA player, or will he be a complete flop?