NBA veteran Austin Rivers made a hot and controversial take regarding USC Trojans guard Bronny James' path to the NBA.
Bronny, the son of Los Angeles Lakers forward and the NBA's all-time leading scorer LeBron James, has faced much scrutiny and hype due to his lineage but has yet to make an impact for the Trojans. The latest 2024 ESPN draft projections show he might go undrafted due to his less-than-stellar play.
During an appearance on ESPN's NBA Today, Rivers offered his perspective on Bronny's situation, suggesting that it might be more beneficial for Bronny's career if he doesn't play alongside his father.
The former Duke Blue Devil drew from his experiences, stating, "I don't want to see Bronny play with his dad, I really don't. I went through something similar...What happens is a lot of people start to discredit everything you've done."
Austin Rivers is the son of Doc Rivers, the newly installed head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and a former NBA player. Austin played for the Los Angeles Clippers from 2015 to 2018 under his father.
LeBron has publicly stated his desire to play with his sons Bronny and Bryce in the NBA, and the Lakers are reportedly willing to select Bronny in this year's draft.
Bronny James is currently averaging 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 37.2 percent from the field and 27.2 percent for three-point range for the Trojans in 14 games played in the 2023-24 season.
Is Austin Rivers's Suggestion Right?
Rivers' viewpoint is valid, as he has faced considerable criticism throughout his NBA career, despite arguably having a more accomplished high school and college career than Bronny.
In his high school days, Rivers stood out as one of the top-rated basketball players in the class of 2011, even earning the No. 1 ranking from Rivals.com.
After an impressive stint with the Duke Blue Devils, Rivers was chosen as the 10th overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2012 NBA draft, making him a lottery pick. He went on to have a solid 11-year run in the league.
Despite his respectable resume, Rivers was not immune to detractors and naysayers who questioned his performance in the league.
"[Bronny] is not a top-10 pick. He's not a lottery pick. He's none of those things. I was all of those things and then still, when I went to go play for the Clippers, people were like: You're only in the league because of your dad, after me being the No. 1 player in the United States two years prior," Rivers lamented on the same broadcast.
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