"Avoid this media circus, avoid all the hoopla" - Chandler Parsons wants to see Bronny James share the stage with Lebron on opening day
As Bronny James gets more NBA experience, it's becoming more apparent that he isn't ready to leap onto the big stage yet. After a subpar freshman year at USC, there was already some talk that the former Trojan wasn't prepared to make the jump to the Association, and his recent string of performances is only adding to that notion.
However, despite those below-average showings, reports suggest that the Los Angeles Lakers will use the 20-year-old guard for their regular-season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. While the buzz to see James Jr. in action might have significantly deteriorated, Chandler Parsons is excited to see history in the making as a son and a father share the same court for the first time in NBA history.
Parsons wants Bronny to script history alongside dad LeBron
During his 2024 Summer League campaign, James Jr. averaged 8.8 points on 35% shooting from the field and showed glimpses of how he might be able to leave an impression on the Purple and Gold when the time comes. Even though his performance was well below the media hype he received, the Lakers ignored all that noise and featured him in each of their three preseason games.
In those preseason matchups, the 6'2" point guard's shooting struggles and lack of offensive production were displayed against more formidable players. Having averaged less than 12 minutes in each of those games, James Jr. has logged less than a point combined and shot merely 1-of-11 from the field.
Despite that, Parsons emphasized on 'Run It Back' that he is excited to see Bronny step on the court alongside his dad, LeBron, deeming it a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
"Avoid all this media circus. Avoid all this hoopla. Play them together the opening night, and then, just like Lou said, this is a project. Bronny is gonna have some time to develop, and we can nit-pick all we want, 'He doesn't deserve it. How did he get here?' At the end of the day… it's f***ing awesome," Parsons said. "Like his son is to play with his dad. That is cool, it's never happened before. It is history."
The process needs time
While the start of the 'Bronny James experiment' hasn't been smooth, everyone in the Lakers' organization already realizes it will take time for the 6'2" rookie to contribute meaningfully. The expectation seems to be that, at best, he could reach double digits in scoring
However, the only realistic scenario for Bronny to match the NBA standards is by featuring in more games and exposing himself to different situations. While his naysayers would want to see him fail, at least Parsons is one of the few who's excited to see him take the floor on opening night.
