"You get better by playing" - Shannon Sharpe rips Bronny James' part-time G-League commitments by contrasting it with Scottie Pippen Jr.'s emergence
Bronny James' NBA career is just getting started, but he's already been one of the biggest talking points among fans for weeks. On Wednesday, insider Brian Windhorst revealed on the "Hoop Collective" podcast that the South Bay Lakers were giving him "special treatment" and that he was only going to play in home games:
“From my understanding, he’s only going to play in the South Bay Lakers’ home games. He’s only going to kind of be a part-time G League player and he’s not getting on United Airlines to fly and play in these road games,” Windhorst said. “I know he’s getting somewhat special treatment and nepotism. That’s fine; honestly, I don’t care. Like I said, it’s normal."
NFL legend Shannon Sharpe shared his concerns about how this could affect Bronny James' development in this key stage of his career: The Pro Football Hall of Famer compared Bronny's situation with Scottie Pippen Jr., who's now become a key piece off the bench for the Memphis Grizzlies:
"How does Bronny get better when he's only playing part-time?" Sharpe asked Chad Johnson on the 'Nightcap' show. "You get better by playing! We had a conversation about Scottie Pippen Jr. Look at what he's doing. He was sitting on the bench; look at him now when he's getting an opportunity to play." (22:00)
Scottie Pippen Jr. also knows what it is like to be the son of a Hall of Famer and having to earn his stripes, and he's now averaging 12 points and six assists per game on 26 minutes a night.
Brian Windhorst feels Bronny James' usage is "detrimental to him"
Notably, Sharpe wasn't the only one concerned about how this could take a toll on Bronny James' growth and draw even more negative attention. Brian Windhorst also shared his thoughts on the matter:
“Now I think it’s actually detrimental to him," Windhorst said. "I don’t like that. I don’t know whose idea it was. Obviously, the Lakers are fine with it—they’re doing it. On this particular instance, I think that’s gone too far. And I don’t think it benefits Bronny. I don’t think it benefits the South Bay Lakers, and I don’t think it benefits LeBron at this point.”
Multiple scouts agreed that Bronny James wasn't ready for the NBA and that he would've benefitted from staying in college for another year. He finished his G-League debut with six points, three rebounds, and four assists on 22% shooting, and, like all young players, he'd benefit from getting as many reps as possible.