Bronny James has been a hot-button topic since entering the NBA as a Los Angeles Lakers second-round pick last summer. He's played for the team in a limited role, but still draws criticism with the small sample size, mainly for being LeBron James' son.
Last week on his podcast, former NFL MVP Cam Newton talked about the dynamic around Bronny, his father, and the scrutiny that comes with it.
"I would say Bronny James is a guy that's so easy to root for," Newton said on "4th&1." "He ain't never did nothing that was just like, ‘Damn, bro, like this (expletive) here wilding.' Not on no damn Marcus Jordan (expletive). You know what I'm saying? And I (expletive) with Marcus. … He's a solid dude. You know what I'm saying? Did he make some mistakes? Cool. It's subjective to whoever sees it."
Michael Jordan's second-oldest son, Marcus has been arrested multiple times and dated his father's teammate's ex-wife, Larsa Pippen. Bronny James, a former USC men's hoops player, has had no such headlines in tabloid magazines.
While he defended Bronny's personality, Newton considered the line LeBron was drawing in the sand during his recent courtside interaction with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
"Yes, a father was talking, but the truth of the matter is, as the father - LeBron - bro, what are we to do?" Newton said. "Because we talk (expletive) about Kevin Durant. We talk (expletive) about Damian Lillard. We talk (expletive) about Wemby. They got dads, too. … Your son is still an NBA athlete that is not above critique."
Related: Stephen A. Smith Says Bronny Doesn't Belong in the NBA
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 3:30 AM.