Deion Sanders and LeBron James are two of the greatest players ever to play their respective sports. Sanders is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while James has the most career points in NBA history and will be in the The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame the first moment he is eligible. These two have set the standard so high in each of their sports that it puts unfair expectations on their children who are now trying to carve out their careers.
Bronny James and Shedeur Sanders are looking to make their mark in the NBA and NFL. Unfortunately for them, they are subject to lots of scrutiny because of their names. Former NFL star Robert Griffin III took their side and defended them against haters who are biased by their views on their fathers.
Robert Griffin III Defends Shedeur Sanders and Bronny James
Griffin played in the NFL and is used to facing criticism from fans and the media. He knows what it feels like to be in their position, especially when part of it isn’t even their fault because they get hated on due to their last name.
“Don’t punish the sons because you don’t like the fathers. If you dislike LeBron that is not a legitimate reason to dislike Bronny. If you dislike Deion Sanders that’s not a legitimate reason to dislike Shedeur. Let these young men prove their metal on the court and on the football field,” said Griffin.
Bronny James and Shedeur Sanders are 2 young brothers trying to achieve their dreams. The hate and unnecessary criticism they are facing has been RIDICULOUS.
“Don’t punish the sons because you don’t like the fathers.
If you dislike Lebron that is not a legitimate reason to… pic.twitter.com/gCwKdEjhFj
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 9, 2025
Shedeur and Bronny are young players and suffer the consequences of the success of their fathers. Shedeur has yet to be drafted, and Bronny has been switching back and forth between the G League and the Los Angeles Lakers. As Griffin mentions, he thinks it is unfair to tear down Bronny and Shedeur over circumstances out of their control.
Shedeur is preparing for the biggest moment of his career so far. He will be hearing his name called early in the first round of the NFL Draft, and his dream will be realized. Bronny had that feeling last summer and was met with criticism over whether he deserved to be selected. This isn’t the case with Shedeur, but he’s had to deal with people doubting his ability over this offseason because of his character.
Shedeur is very confident in himself and outspoken about his trust in his abilities because fans and analysts find themselves frequently criticizing Sanders, sometimes undeservedly. Bronny faces heat just like Shedeur but isn’t as outspoken as Shedeur. Most of the time, the hate that fans have toward the fathers trickles down and clouds the perception of the sons’ abilities.
Bronny and Shedeur are always going to be under the microscope because of their names. It will be an issue to continuously monitor, as it will be intriguing to see how they handle the heat while also observing which athletes come to the defense of Bronny and Shedeur like Griffin did.