Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas believes Bronny James, the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, would be a top candidate for Rookie of the Year if he played more minutes.
Gilbert Arenas Says Bronny James Would Average 12 Points, Four Rebounds, And Four Assists In 36 Minutes Played Per Game
Bronny has appeared in 18 games with the Lakers, averaging just 1.4 points, 0.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 4.2 minutes per game. Arenas says he has the potential to be one of the NBA’s top rookies with more playing time.
“If they [the Lakers] played him 36 [minutes], he’d be averaging 12 [points], four [rebounds], and four [assists]. He’d be top five for Rookie of the Year,” Arenas stated with confidence on his show, Gil’s Arena.
Bronny was selected 55th overall by the Lakers in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft out of USC. He’s since had limited playing time in the NBA, splitting his time there with the G League.
“If Bronny James played 36 MPG… He’d be top 5 for ROTY.” 👀
— Gilbert Arenas
(via @GilsArenaShow) pic.twitter.com/lxupkiYDCF
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 13, 2025
Despite being a second-round draft pick, Bronny has faced scrutiny in the media throughout his rookie season. Critics argue that Bronny is only in the league because of his LeBron.
On the topic at hand, Arenas seemed eager to defend Bronny on his podcast.
“When have we ever attacked a rookie player? We still haven’t even attacked last year’s player for flopping,” Arenas said. “We’re talking about 40-, 50-million-dollar people, and we don’t have nothing bad to say about them because as hoopers you give them the opportunity.”
Rashad McCants Argues That Bronny Is Only On The Lakers’ Roster Because Of LeBron
Arenas’ bold claim immediately sparked a debate on the podcast with former NBA player Rashad McCants, who argued that Bronny is only on the Lakers roster because of LeBron’s influence.
According to McCants, LeBron’s eldest son has a presence in the NBA right now for boosting ratings and generating revenue, not for talent or anything related to basketball for that matter.
“You’re comparing a regular person in the situation of being a 55th pick to a guy who is the son of a billionaire who has his own platform where he has millions of kids following him, there’s not a comparison to him,” McCants said.
McCants argues that the expectations are higher for James because of who his father is and the team that selected him. Gilbert Arenas then replied, saying that no rookie can play well with the minutes that James is receiving.
“You know damn well those first couple game Bronny gets in one minute, three minute, five minute, he ain’t playing well. Number one picks don’t even play well with that kind of time,” Arenas continued.
In the G League with the South Bay Lakers, James is averaging 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game.
In the Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Bronny and LeBron became the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game together.
