Bronny James is the most polarizing prospect in this year’s NBA Draft. His last name, of course, plays a big role in the discussion.
Is the namesake of LeBron James ready to join his dad on the professional level?
When you look at James’ stats from his lone year at USC, the answer is no. He averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 19.4 minutes over 25 games with the Trojans. Those are not NBA numbers.
However, the 19-year-old combo guard was recovering from a cardiac arrest incident that occurred during summer workouts and delayed his ability to get on the court. Head coach also Andy Enfield used him in a strange role. His freshman year did not necessarily reflect his true abilities.
For example, James shot the lights out at the NBA Draft Scouting Combine on Monday!
Now, the fact that he measured-in at 6-foot-1 after being listed at 6-foot-4 wasn’t great. His shooting, though, was impressive. This year’s draft class is pretty weak compared to recent years so it might be worth taking a shot on one of the biggest names in basketball. Especially if LeBron Sr. is going to end his legendary career on the same team as his son.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, there is another unique factor at play— the G-League.
NBA organizations are reportedly considering drafting James as someone who could increase revenue for its minor league affiliate. Merchandise sales is an additional piece of the equation.
Since James is almost certainly going to begin his career on the G-League level, Woj said that NBA teams believe he could sell tickets to games that do not typically boast sold-out crowds. Fans might also buy a t-shirt, poster, or jersey while they are there. Drafting him could produce a boost in revenue.
Teams are intrigued by Bronny James because of the financial impact he will have on their G League level at the beginning of his career, per @wojespn:
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 14, 2024
“He will pack G League arenas, merchandising. All of those make him an attractive player.”
Bronny could go late first-round. pic.twitter.com/4gHrAXDQTV
“Could” is the key word there. It is far from a guarantee that James will fill G-League gyms or sell merch.
USC’s basketball arena can hold more than 10,000 fans. The Trojans averaged an attendance of approximately 6,300 per game.
Los Angeles is a bad sports town, sure. But is Bronny James really going to be that big of a draw for the Austin Spurs, Ontario Clippers, Greensboro Swarm or Long Island Nets? I’m not so sure.
He’s not Caitlin Clark…