Bronny James has garnered unprecedented attention for a late second-round pick since being selected No. 55 by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft, as he has grappled with playing in the shadow of his father and star teammate LeBron James.
While Bronny has experienced his fair share of ups and downs over his first two seasons, four-time NBA champion John Salley considers the 21-year-old’s early career development an undeniable success and believes the best is yet to come.
John Salley Backs Bronny James, Predicts Lakers Guard Will Prolong NBA Career
Bronny struggled to get on the court during his rookie campaign, with the athletic, defensive-minded prospect’s limited offensive repertoire often relegating him to garbage time minutes for LA.
While the 6-foot-2 guard made history by playing alongside his father, many challenged his spot on the team, arguing that he was only rostered as a result of nepotism.
Bronny has gradually shed that narrative, benefiting from his time in the NBA G League by taking noticeable strides as a playmaker and shooter in Year 2. The second-rounder closed the 2025-26 regular season strong, capitalizing on key injuries to Lakers backcourt stars Luka Dončić (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique).
Bronny followed that up by logging quality minutes early in this year’s postseason, contributing off the bench amid LA’s improbable six-game first-round series victory over the Houston Rockets.
MORE: NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Linked to $15.7M Center Who Could ‘Completely Thrive’ Alongside Luka Dončić
Speaking on the “TFU Podcast,” Salley, a long-standing advocate of Bronny, doubled down on his support of the Lakers youngster, hailing him for his steady improvement.
“I told you Bronny was a good thing,” Salley began. “Remember, you wanted to kill me about the Bronny situation, and Bronny got better and better and better. I’m telling you, it just takes repetition. … He was in a tough position.”
The former NBA big man conceded that nepotism likely played a pivotal role in Bronny’s initial opportunities in the pros before declaring the storyline a net positive for the league.
“It’s nepotism, but if you have the position to do it, it didn’t hurt the NBA; it helped, I think,” Salley said. “It helped the NBA with sales in jerseys. That definitely had something to do with the $10 billion sale [of the Lakers].”
With LeBron’s future beyond his record-setting 23rd season undecided as he gears up for free agency, some have cast doubt on Bronny’s NBA career beyond his stint by his father’s side. However, Salley envisions the reserve guard’s work ethic keeping him in the league regardless of LeBron’s next move.
“Right now, after this amount of time playing in the NBA, I would bet on Bronny ’cause you learn how to do it. Once you’re in it, the way he trains is gonna be different this summer, the way he thinks about things is gonna be different,” Salley reasoned.
“I bet you he’s taking 1500 3s [a day] now. … Whatever he was doing before, I bet you he two-timed it. I guarantee you he is improving his game when everyone is watching and when no one is watching.”
John Salley gives his assessment of Bronny James’ time in the NBA so far.
⸻#JohnSalley #BronnyJames #NBA #LosAngelesLakers #BasketballTalk pic.twitter.com/JWMbZQ0Vqn
— TFU Podcast (@tfupodcast_xx) June 22, 2026
Across his final six regular-season appearances, Bronny averaged 7.2 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.5 3-pointers per game, shooting 47.2% overall, including 42.9% from beyond the arc in 17.2 minutes a night.
As the Lakers revamp their roster around Dončić this offseason, Bronny could be in store for an expanded role with the aspiring Western Conference contender during the 2026-27 campaign.
