Bronny James’ time with the Lakers has been the subject of immense speculation in recent weeks. However, LeBron‘s youngest son, Bryce James, is now under fire for his play at Arizona. Following his first game and start for the Wildcats, one analyst believes LeBron’s influence, not merit, earned Bryce his role.
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This has led to doubts over whether he deserves to be on the Arizona team at all or whether being LeBron James’ son is what got him the role. Veteran analyst Jason Whitlock seems to believe the latter is true.
“Bryce James is a make-a-swish kid,” Whitlock said in an Instagram video. “Arizona, the number 5 team country last night, gave Bryce James, LeBron’s youngest son, three minutes at the beginning of the first half and three minutes at the beginning of the second half, and that’s it.”
“He’s a make-a-swish kid, has no business on the Arizona basketball team, and LeBron is forcing them to give him token starts.”
Whitlock slammed LeBron’s influence after Bryce had 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 1 assist in limited playing time. Bryce played just 6 minutes of playing time in his debut, scattered across the two halves.
Rather than indicating a coach’s trust in him, it may very well indicate that Bryce is being given minimal minutes to satisfy his father’s demands.
what’s more, Bryce shot 0-for-3 from the field and 0-for-2 from the 3-point range, contributing little to Arizona’s 75-84 upset loss vs. UCLA.
While this doesn’t give credence to Whitlock’s claims that LBJ is forcing Arizona to start Bryce, it does bring his ability to play at the Division-1 level into question.
Bryce redshirted his freshman year to preserve his eligibility amid a stacked 2025 Arizona roster. He focused on developing skills and adjusting to the college level of play, following a more deliberate approach than his brother Bronny.
However, if his first college start is anything to go by, Bryce may just follow in his brother’s footsteps. Bronny averaged 4.8ppg, 2.8rpg, and 2.1 apg in his only season at USC.
However, this is just the first game of the season, and Bryce will have ample time to show off his abilities and prove Whitlock wrong. Additionally, LeBron has already given Bryce advice for his first season.
This isn’t the first time Whitlock has commented on LeBron’s approach to fatherhood. In fact, he has publicly insinuated that LBJ may have pushed Bronny down the wrong path.
“Bronny James, with a different father, would be an outside linebacker or free safety on a major college football team, seen as a first- or second-round draft pick,” Whitlock said in an IG video he shared 2 weeks ago.
He stated Bronny should have been allowed to pursue another career path, such as the NFL, instead of going to the NBA. Now, Whitlock believes that Bryce may be following the same path.
Ultimately, Bryce’s college career is just starting. However, he will have to deal with the pressure of being LeBron’s son and following in his path to become an NBA player.