Will Bronny James return to USC in 2024? Kendrick Perkins chimes in with advice for LeBron James' son
In the past few weeks, Bronny James has found himself at the receiving end of the internet's brutal judgments. It all started when rumors surfaced indicating that the LA Lakers might draft the young guard at the 2024 NBA draft. And the internet did not take it lightly, with calls of nepotism echoing from every corner.
Recently, it was revealed that ESPN has removed Bronny James from their 2024 mock draft. When LeBron James chimed in with his opinion, once again, the internet went wild.
Now, former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins gave his two cents on the situation. Speaking on whether Bronny should go back to school next year, Perkins shared:
"Yes, I do. Right and when the time is right, let it have happened naturally," Perkins said. "We don't want to force anything and let's not force this young man, you know, his livelihood or his development so that he could go in pair up with LeBron or whatever narrative we trying to push or whatever we want to see, to be honest. Just let the young man breathe."
Perkins also pointed out the example of Carmelo Anthony and his son, Kiyan Anthony, saying:
"Carmelo Anthony had the interesting thing on his podcast, where he talked about the relationship with his son, and how he don't let his son get too far ahead. He stay in the moment. He's not going to tell them he's going to be this.
"He was like, 'No, you actually got to get to college first, and then we're gonna worry about your freshman year college into your sophomore year right and then we'll start to worry about the pros.' And I think that's the steps we all need to start looking at when it comes to Bronny."
Perkins' thoughts on LeBron and Bronny James playing together
For a long time, LeBron James has spoken about his desire to share the NBA court with Bronny. Many have assumed that the Lakers' wanting to draft Bronny was to appease him and help him realize his dream. Kendrick Perkins' one request for the senior James in this matter was to be patient.
"... I think Bron is going to have to be patient and he's also going to have to sacrifice and if that means he's going to have to extend his NBA career a little longer, so be it," he said.
Perkins also acknowledged that Bronny James was going to be a terrific NBA player. While he may not be like his father, James Jr. has all the skills he would need to make a successful career in the league, according to Perkins.