"This is what his father built" - Patrick Beverley gets real on Bronny James facing backlash following draft rating slump

LA Lakers superstar forward LeBron James recently called out the media for speculating about his son Bronny James’ future amid his college basketball struggles. However, according to Milwaukee Bucks veteran point guard Patrick Beverley, the heavy spotlight on Bronny is unavoidable due to the James family’s name.

LeBron’s frustration began after ESPN’s Jonathan Givony released his first 2025 NBA mock draft on Monday. Many were surprised by Bronny’s inclusion, who Givony projected to go No. 39 to the Portland Trail Blazers.

ESPN and other outlets previously included Bronny in their 2024 mock drafts, projecting him to get drafted as high as the lottery at one point. However, amid an up-and-down freshman season at USC, Givony expects that the 19-year-old will stay in college another year to improve his draft stock.

Givony’s ranking of Bronny was subsequently aggregated, making the rounds on X/Twitter, where LeBron reacted in dissatisfaction. In two now-deleted tweets, the four-time MVP called for the media to stop over-scrutinizing his son and let him focus on basketball.

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“Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball?” James tweeted.

“The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y'all don't know, he doesn't care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!”

LeBron quickly faced backlash, as he has been a strong proponent of Bronny’s NBA prospects, often publicly celebrating his accomplishments. In January, he even said that Bronny, “Could help (the Lakers) right now. Easy.”

LeBron subsequently deleted his tweets. Nonetheless, he sparked debates about whether he was right to take a stand against his son’s draft ranking.

On “The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone,” Beverley chimed in. The 12-year veteran highlighted how Bronny’s situation is unavoidable, being the son of arguably the greatest basketball player of all time.

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“I’ve never seen anything like this, but it comes with being LeBron James’ son, also. It has nothing to do with play,” Beverley said. “We can sit here all day and say, ‘Let the kid be a kid,’ but he’s not just a kid. … He’s literally royalty.”

Beverley added that Bronny should learn to deal with the limelight and thrive in it, just like his father did at the same age.

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“I always like to look at the positives in everything, right?” Beverley said. “Yeah, this is happening to him at a young age. This is what his father built. That’s what he’s built for. So, if anyone can handle it, he can handle it.”

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LeBron James says Bronny James’ decision on future is up to him

LeBron James also touched on his son’s future on TNT’s NBA All-Star Game pregame show earlier this month. According to the 20-time All-Star, he won’t pressure Bronny to declare for the 2024 draft.

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“It’s up to him, it’s up to the kid,” James said. “Obviously, we’re gonna go through the whole process.

“He’s still in season now, has the Pac-12 tournament coming up. … We’re gonna weigh all our options, and we’re gonna let the kid make the decision.”

Bronny has struggled offensively in his freshman season at USC, scoring in double figures in just three of 19 games. His outside shot has been inconsistent, and he hasn’t demonstrated the ability to create his own offense consistently.

Through 19 games, Bronny is averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.7 3-pointers per game on 37.1% shooting.

However, Bronny is still considered a respectable athletic two-way guard prospect by draft experts, who could get selected if he ultimately enters the 2024 draft. Additionally, the well-documented possibility of his father joining the team that drafts him could play a big role in his draft prospects.

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