Getty Image
There has been a lot of talk and speculation lately about whether or not Bronny James is ready for the NBA by many in the know – including punter Johnny Hekker of the Carolina Panthers.
Wait, what?
LeBron James’ son looked pretty good at the NBA Draft Scouting Combine on Monday, showing off the expected athleticism, but also revealing surprising accuracy and range on his shot.
Bronny is also supposedly drawing interest from some NBA teams who think he will help fill their G League arenas with fans. That and the fact that teams think they will have the inside track on his dad, should he decide to opt out, as many think he will.
Which, when you think about it, those things, if true, are all you need to know about whether Bronny James is actually ready for the NBA.
Plus, there is the opinion of the aforementioned Johnny Hekker, basketball expert.
“Bro’s catch and release is 2-3 business days,” Hekker commented on a post on X (Twitter) by SportsCenter showing some of Bronny’s Combine highlights.
Bro’s catch and release is 2-3 business days https://t.co/3yfrPtMebA
— Johnny Hekker (@JHekker) May 14, 2024
Yeah… that didn’t go over very well. What is it with guys who kick footballs for a living today?
It’s the combine why wouldn’t he take his time to make sure he lines his shot up?
— EKD (@De8oer) May 14, 2024
“This statement alone shows you truly dunno basketball, it’s more than his catch & release, it’s not about speed, it’s a conditioning drill with constant movement around the perimeter to test his breathing and how fast he’ll fatigue in his legs while getting to the spots watching to see if his shot changes going from arch to flat at the rim and testing his footwork seeing how he continues to gather his feet and get his shot up as well as his court awareness!” another fan explained in length.
Punters are meant to be seen not heard https://t.co/Y2ZwcYCHdy
— Silky Sonic (@SilkyJohnstamos) May 14, 2024
“An NFL punter commenting on an NBA draft prospect catch and release time,” read another comment. “You can’t make this s— up. Stick to kicking footballs. A slow release time doesn’t mean s— in today’s game.”
Aye... start calling you "Johnny Heckler"
— An interesting name (The Heartbroken Tour) (@ChadApe69) May 14, 2024
In fairness to Johnny Hekker, according to his Wikipedia page, he did “briefly” play basketball for his high school in his senior year.
He also may have been trolling.