‘He needs to become his own player’: NBA fathers and sons react to investigation into Bronny James
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC — Bryce plays the next role here.
The whispers spread like wildfire, running from seat to seat along the length of the back wall in Court 1. Even at Peach Jam, a showcase for the nation’s top high school basketball prospects, it’s “Bryce” — Bryce James, better known as the youngest son of LeBron James and younger brother of Bronny James — who perhaps draws the largest crowd of the entire event.
The phenomenon of fans flocking to LeBron’s son isn’t new. The basketball-watching world has had a similar obsession with Bronny — and continues to do so, especially after the Los Angeles Lakers made him with the 55th pick in this summer’s draft, pairing him with his famous father. But that decision was scrutinized; in his lone collegiate season at Southern California, Bronny started in just six games and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The eye test, for many evaluators, told the same story as Bronny’s production: that if he hadn’t been LeBron’s son, he wouldn’t have been drafted at all. Subsequently, his uneven summer league performances led to more questions.
And while the excitement surrounding Bronny, and now Bryce, is reaching unprecedented heights, it’s a situation other NBA sons can relate to.
“He gets a lot of hate for no reason, just because he’s LeBron’s son. LeBron has a lot of haters,” said Cayden Boozer, a five-star point guard who is expected to end up at Duke (like his father Carlos), Miami or Florida. “He’s still a rookie. He was the 55th pick. I don’t know why they expect him to be the next generational player. He’s got to be his own player. You’ve got to let that happen.”
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Bronny and Bryce aren’t the only sons of NBA players facing criticism.
“Our kids have to adjust to that early in life, right?” Carlos Boozer said. “They heard in fourth or fifth grade, ‘I know who your daddy is.'”
In fact, for the many former NBA players whose sons were at Peach Jam last week, that scrutiny was a constant.
“When they were 8 or 9 years old, parents would curse at their kids,” said 14-season NBA veteran Matt Barnes, whose twin sons, Isaiah and Carter, play for Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George’s Under-15 team. “When you’re the son of a pro or the son of a former pro, you’re in the spotlight more. There’s a lot of people who love you — but there’s just as many people who hate you.”
In addition to the Barnes boys, there’s a whole list of promising talents whose fathers played in the NBA:
• Cameron and Cayden Boozer (ranked No. 2 and 19 in the 2025 recruiting class, respectively), twin sons of two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer;
• Kiyan Anthony (No. 31 in 2025), son of 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony;
• Jacob Wilkins (No. 33 in 2025), son of nine-time All-Star and Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins;
• Jermaine O’Neal Jr. (No. 101 in 2025), son of six-time All-Star Jermaine O’Neal;
• Alijah Arenas (No. 4 in 2026), son of three-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas;
•Tajh Ariza (No. 6 in 2026), son of NBA champion Trevor Ariza;
• and of course Bryce James (#179 in 2025)
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In the age of social media, however, it’s easier said than done to be patient while NBA sons develop. Consider Bryce again. Despite being just a consensus three-star prospect and holding just two college offers (according to 247Sports)—from Ohio State, which LeBron has long supported; and Duquesne, where LeBron’s high school teammate, Dru Joyce III, was named head coach this spring—fans packed Court 1 four rows deep to catch a glimpse of the rising senior. Security eventually had to close the doors when the gym filled to capacity (which, in grassroots terms, is often far greater than its intended capacity).
Unfortunately, Bryce suffered an ankle/foot injury early in the game and played just 14 minutes. But his 1-for-5 effort that night wasn’t a standout; in six Peach Jam games, the shooting guard averaged 4.7 points and two rebounds per game with zero assists in 111 total minutes.
Social media is doing its thing. On Monday, the day after the Peach Jam championship games, a video of Bryce’s “highlights” surfaced on X …and in less than 48 hours it had been viewed almost three million times.
Bryce James went wild at Peach Jam! LeBron’s youngest son got in his bag 🎒 @bryce_james23 @King James @NikeEYB photo.twitter.com/jp5k7yozeE
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) July 22, 2024
“It’s unfair, but I understand it,” Trevor Ariza said of the attention given to James’ sons. “To be honest, (Bronny’s) handled it great and he’s carved out his own path and created his own path.”
As NBA scouts, college coaches and a host of former pros packed the gyms, conversation naturally turned to Bronny’s performance in the NBA Summer League. (Bronny, who reportedly signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract, averaged 7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while connecting on 32.7 percent of his shots and shooting 13 percent from the 3-point line.)
“I’m totally fine with him being picked 55th. When they say it’s his dad, it’s his dad — but now it’s Bronny, and the microscope is definitely on him,” Barnes said. “He’s being judged on everything he does. He had a rough first two games, and they thought the world was going to end. Then he bounced back and had two solid games. So everything has to be put into perspective.”
Nightrydas Elite’s Cameron Boozer (12) is among the top recruits in the Class of 2025. His father, Carlos, played in the NBA. (Katie Goodale / USA Today)
That, more than anything, seemed to be the universal message from NBA dads to their sons: Worry about yourself and your game, because that’s the only thing you can control. Carlos Boozer said he and his wife, CeCe, started telling their twins when they were in elementary school that the boys were showing real interest in basketball for the first time. “We kept preaching that,” Boozer said. “Don’t worry about all that (noise). Just go play basketball.”
As Bronny’s pro career takes off, other high-profile prospects with NBA fathers at least know what kind of attention to expect. Cam Boozer, for example, is arguably the best player in high school basketball, which, on top of being Carlos’ son, is bound to come with a lot of criticism.
When asked directly if he had empathy for what Bronny was going through, Cam said, “Definitely. He was definitely born into a tough situation. It kind of sucks for him — but it’s helped him at the same time.”
(Top photo: Candice Ward/Getty Images)
