Former NBA star says Lakers rookie Bronny James is ‘an influencer who plays basketball’

As Bronny James prepares for his rookie season as a pro, his performances are being scrutinized by the masses. That said, one former NBA superstar suggests people may be looking at things through the wrong lens.

During a recent episode of his podcast “Gil’s Arena,” three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas took a unique stance on how James’ performance is judged.

Here’s more on what Arenas had to say about James.

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What did Gilbert Arenas say about Bronny James?

“Everyone rates the game of basketball, but no one rates him as an influencer,” Arenas said of James. ‘You know, sometimes you have to look at it a little differently. He is an influencer who plays basketball.”

Bronny James, the son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, was selected with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Due to his family ties, James’ popularity exceeds that of the typical second-round pick, a fact Arenas used to base his ‘influencer’ vision on.

“He has more followers on social media than Patrick Mahomes — he literally has more followers than a three-time NFL champion,” Arenas said of James. “His influence is really great. He will be sung everywhere, this is not about his achievements in basketball.”

James does indeed have more followers than Mahomes – the Lakers rookie has 8.1 million followers on Instagram, compared to 6.8 million for the Chiefs star.

MORE: Will Bronny James Make the Lakers’ Roster? | Complete game logs for Bronny James during the 2024 NBA preseason

Through his first four preseason games, James is averaging 1.0 points and 1.0 rebounds per game while shooting a paltry 12.5 percent from the field, numbers that indicate a player struggling to find his way .

Arenas then backed up his idea by acknowledging James’ status, as the No. 55 pick shouldn’t come with the expectation that the league would immediately be set on fire.

The former Wizards great added that players in the same range of the draft are not scrutinized and evaluated in the same way. He also claimed that other prospects the Lakers could have selected instead of James are largely unknown and not criticized as harshly.

One of the criticisms came from former Laker DeMarcus Cousins, who said selecting James suggests the franchise isn’t serious about winning. Arenas seemed to offer a direct response to Cousins’ claim.

“To say the Lakers aren’t taking it seriously because they picked him at 55? Let me know who was a better pick at 55 and who would help the franchise because I’m pretty sure they would be deleted like most others.” of the second round has been cut so far.”

Here’s a look at how James’ numbers compare to those of his peers:

Memphis’ Spencer and New York’s McCullar haven’t played in the preseason yet due to injury, but James’ preseason numbers are comparable to any of the last six picks in the NBA Draft, aside from Hukporti, who has been a revelation for Knicks- fans.

Looking at things through the lens Arenas suggested, James’ impact does set him apart and his performance is on par with his selection in this year’s draft.