Ronny James: Aiming to Emulate Defensive Stars, Not Just Follow His Dad

Bronny James, the promising basketball player from USC, recently shared his thoughts on who he models his game after, taking a modest approach.

Instead of drawing obvious comparisons to his legendary father, LeBron James, Bronny mentioned he aspires to impact the game in the same way as defensive stalwarts like Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Davion Mitchell, according to ESPN's Jamal Collier.

Despite carrying a well-known name, Bronny is keen to avoid the inevitable comparisons to his father.

He entered the league at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds with different physical attributes and prospects compared to his father, who stood at 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds during his 2003 combine.

Rather than mimicking his father's play style, Bronny aims to emulate the gritty, defensive-minded guards of the NBA.

This approach makes sense for a player whose strengths lie more in defence than in offensive prowess.

On Monday, Bronny demonstrated his athletic abilities, recording a 6-foot-7.25 wingspan and a 40.5-inch maximum vertical leap, the fourth-highest in his class.

For comparison, Derrick White has a 36.5-inch vertical, while Jrue Holiday's is 34.0 inches.

Davion Mitchell did not participate in the measurements.

Bronny's shooting skills also impressed during drills, where he hit 19-of-25 three-pointers, ranking second in the star shooting drill at the prospect showcase.

However, he faced challenges during his first scrimmage, shooting 2-for-8 from the field and 0-for-4 from beyond the arc, finishing with four points, four rebounds, and two steals in 19 minutes.

His one season at USC was a mixed bag, as he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.8 steals in 19.3 minutes per game.

A cardiac arrest disrupted Bronny's season before it started, limiting him to 25 games.

Reflecting on this period, he said, "It was a tough time, for sure. All this work that I put in, it just really built me into someone that would never give up. It paid off because I put in the work after that situation, and I'm back to where I want to be."

When asked about the prospect of playing alongside his father, Bronny stated it isn't his primary focus.

"When I get there, I don't think it would be just like me and my dad. I would be happy about getting to the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad. That's not my mindset right now at all. I'm just trying to put in the work and see where it takes me from there."

LeBron James has expressed his desire to play with his son before retiring, although he recently downplayed the importance of this goal.

Bronny echoed his father's sentiments, saying, "My dream has always just been to put my name out, make a name for myself and, of course, get to the NBA.

I never thought about playing with my dad. But of course, he's brought it up a couple times."