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[Saba Sports News] Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James has openly expressed his wish to share the NBA court with his son, Bronny. However, former NBA player Austin Rivers voiced his concerns on ESPN’s “NBA Today” about the potential downsides of such a pairing.
Drawing from his own experience in the NBA, Rivers argues that teaming up with LeBron could cast a shadow over Bronny’s accomplishments, leading to unwarranted negativity. Rivers, who once faced accusations of nepotism during his time with the Clippers under his father, Doc Rivers, fears Bronny might face similar or even harsher scrutiny.
“I don’t want to see Bronny play with [LeBron James], I really don’t. I went through something similar. … What happens is a lot of people start to discredit everything that you’ve done. … Him getting drafted and playing with his dad, I don’t want that negativity to come his way cause he doesn’t deserve it,” said Rivers. “He’s not a top-10 pick, he’s not a lottery pick. He’s none of those things. I was all those things — and still when I went and to go play for the Clippers, people were like, ‘Oh, you’re only in the league because of your dad.’”
Despite his own challenges and a career that lasted over a decade, Rivers emphasizes that Bronny’s path should be free from the added pressure of living up to his father’s legacy, especially since Bronny, unlike Rivers at his age, is not projected as a top pick. Bronny’s current performance as a freshman at USC shows promise but also highlights the differences in their paths.