Bronny James is no stranger to public criticism. Long before he got drafted by the Lakers, doubts regarding his credibility as an NBA-level talent had become national news. Every basketball pundit, media outlet, and fan debated whether he is getting this platform only because of Daddy James’ influence. Although Bronny now has a year’s NBA and G League experience under his belt, those doubts have not faded completely.
“Bronny James is the worst player the NBA has ever seen.” This supposed claim by WNBA star Angel Reese has left the internet buzzing once again. But did she really say it? Well, there is no official record of Reese uttering these words.
In fact, nba_flames, the Instagram account that made this claim, shared the same post six weeks ago. That confirms this is nothing more than Fake News. Also, the reference that led to the Chicago Sky star’s alleged quote is not factual. According to the post, Reese said it while addressing Bronny having the lowest FG efficiency in league history at 9.1%.
However, the Lakers‘ youngster shot 31.3% from the field in his rookie season. Even from the three-point line, his efficiency was in double-digits at 28.1%. Sure, the percentages are not impressive by any stretch of the imagination, but they are definitely not the lowest in league history. Moreover, Bronny has shown tremendous improvement heading into his second season. In the recent Las Vegas Summer League, he averaged 14.2 points and nearly four assists in four appearances. His field goal efficiency also spiked to 47.6% as the youngster looked far more confident than in his rookie season.
“Definitely a little less nervous. Wouldn’t say I wasn’t nervous at all, but just come out there and being myself like I did in the G League season last year. Just going out and playing my hardest.” He remarked. While Bronny might not be a destined superstar like his dad, he is far from being the worst NBA player in history. Another reason the alleged quote by Angel seems fabricated is that she does not have a history of being critical of Bronny.
Angel Reese once avoided a controversial Jaylen Brown-Kysre Gondrezick discussion about Bronny James
Last year, a courtside clip of Angel Reese, Jaylen Brown, and his alleged girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick, went viral. It was at a Lakers Summer League game, and while there was no audio of the conversation, expert lip readers decoded what JB and Kysre were discussing. Or rather, who they were discussing: Bronny James!
“I don’t think Bronny is a pro.” Brown supposedly said, to which Kysre responded, “I think he’ll be on the G League team for sure.” Lip readers further decoded the Celtics star, saying, “I don’t think so, I think because of his name he’ll be on the Lakers.” Angel, who was sitting right next to them, did not take part in the supposedly controversial discussion and was glued to her phone throughout the clip.
So, she is not one to talk ill about Bronny. On her podcast last year, she even resonated with guest Kiyan Anthony as he addressed Bronny and LeBron becoming the first active father-son duo in NBA history, “Nah, that’s crazy, like father-son in the NBA.” Reese responded, “That’s fire.” Therefore, it makes no sense that she would suddenly change her stance and badmouth Bronny, especially while he continues to show constant improvement on the hardwood.
The post Fact Check: Did Angel Reese Call Bronny James Worst NBA Player Ever? appeared first on EssentiallySports.