"Make-A-Wish Kid" - Jason Whitlock rips media coverage of Bronny James in the media
On the heels of Bronny James' NBA Summer League debut, NBA pundit Jason Whitlock has taken aim at the media for their coverage of the Lakers' rookie. His comments came on the heels of a rough start for Bronny at the California classic, where James recorded just four points, two rebounds, and two assists in 21 minutes played.
The numbers mirrored Bronny's stats at USC, where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game with the team. Despite the fact that Bronny is being viewed as a project for LA rather than an NBA-ready player, Jason Whitlock isn't sold on Bronny being a highly-touted prospect.
While discussing the second-generation hooper's debut at the California Classic, Whitlock pushed back on the notion that Bronny can develop into a top-tier 3 and D player. As he explained, watching Bronny, it seemed as though he was out of place among the rest of his peers.
On Tuesday morning, Whitlock spoke on his Fearless with Jason Whitlock show to discuss the situation, dubbing Bronny James a "Make-A-Wish kid". Whitlock used the term both in his caption, as well as in the video, where he spoke at length about the situation:
"LeBron James has turned his son into the Make-A-Wish kid. And everybody in the media is going to play along. Everybody is going to play along, like, not everybody, because we're not. And some. There are a handful of people calling this out, but you've turned your son into the Make-A-Wish kid."
Looking at why Bronny James was kept out of the LA Lakers' second Summer League game following disappointing play in debut
Following a rough debut for Bronny James at the NBA's California Classic leg of the Summer League, reporter Mike Trudell revealed that Bronny wouldn't be playing against Golden State on Sunday. The game marked the second for LA in the California Classic, following the team's 108-94 loss on Saturday.
According to Trudell, Bronny James was dealing with swelling in his left knee, and as a result, wouldn't be suiting up for LA's clash with the Warriors. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Trudell also revealed that the plan is for Bronny to play in the team's final California Classic game on Wednesday:
"Bronny James has some trace swelling in his left knee, and will be held out of today’s second day of a back-to-back for precautionary reasons. He’s expected to play in Wednesday’s final California Classic game vs. Miami."
In addition, Trudell also notably relayed some insight from LA's Summer League coach Dane Johnson, who indicated that the team was merely being cautious with their second-round pick:
Of course, Bronny James wasn't the only one to struggle. Sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, who LA drafted in the first round, also struggled with his shot, going just 3-12 from the field. Given that, it will be interesting to see how the pair bounce back on Wednesday when they play the Miami Heat.