The three-time NBA All-Star, Gilbert Arenas, has slammed the VIP treatment apparently handed out to Bronny James as he dodges travelling outside California with the South Bay Lakers for his G-League debut.
The 20-year-old was drafted as a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers to become the first father-son duo with LeBron James in the NBA when he made his debut on opening night in October.
However, since then he has struggled for offensive output so JJ Redick has made the decision to send him to the G-League in order to improve his craft as well as maintaining his high standard of work rate and defense.
But he won’t even make his first appearance with the team when they head to Salt Lake in Utah as part of a deal with the NBA outfit, who he continues to spend time with as he trains, something Arenas claimed is due to his name.
“I don’t like the fact that he’s not traveling, like, with the team. I don’t like that,” Arenas said on his podcast. “‘Cause my daddy LeBron James. That’s one. Two, I’m Bronny James.’
“I’m pretty sure he is the second most famous person on the Lakers themselves.”
However, Arenas later came to the defense of the youngster by suggesting that perhaps he does have the right to some privileges due to his fame, claiming that Bronny has increased the attendances at South Bay games by 900%.
“I think y’all got this f***ed up,” Arenas continued. “First of all, I’m (Bronny) coming to this arena. It’s being filled up because of me. So y’all shouldn’t have no animosity towards me because this is filled up because of me…
“Do your thing, brothers. Do your thing. It was 2000 people before I got here. We got 20,000 in here. Show out. Y’all should be happy I’m here.”
Bronny breaks jersey sales record
Bronny may not be a financial burden to the Lakers either, perhaps why they wasted little time drafting him this time around and went as far as allegedly warning other times away from the prospect.
The Daily Scrum News reports the ex-USC Trojan has sold 500,000 jerseys to bring in $50m in value to the team, which could break his dad’s own record which he set at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Lakers are happy with the Bronny pick,” Arenas said, hinting as his market value. “Because he’s sold enough jerseys to make up for his contract. He’s equal money to the team itself.
So, it’s not like they lose money on a kid; they’re going to make money on the kid because [of his jersey sales].”
