Bronny James and his father, LeBron James, will be the first father-son duo to play in the same NBA game, but they understand that there is still much work ahead. Iman Shumpert, a former teammate of LeBron, is fully behind the Los Angeles Lakers' choice to draft LeBron's son.
In an exclusive interview with RG.org, Shumpert praised the Lakers for their decision to draft Bronny James, calling it a smart move.
Iman Shumpert's take on the Lakers drafting Bronny James
“It’s smart. The boy can play basketball, he can play with his weapons. There's a lot of people — you can put five guys on paper — but it's not going to look good in the game. You put five guys on paper — we do it all the time — when they stack up, they trade, they do all that and then they get blown out by 30 in the first round. We don't have time for that. Bronny is not that type of player,” said Shumpert.
Shumpert likened Bronny to former Lakers guard Lonzo Ball, who gained recognition for his playmaking skills, averaging 7.2 assists per game in his rookie season.
“Even though he's had his ups and downs, he plays a team game. He's able to get other players involved. He's able to make people better and I think Bronny does an excellent job of that. He does an excellent job of being able to stay in a rhythm without getting people out of rhythm. He doesn't take a lot of dribbles. They need a lot of touches in order to get going. And he doesn't. He plays a pretty efficient game and the more he gets in those decision-making positions that he has to make down the stretch — when it really means something — we're going to see a really quick learning curve,” Shumpert added.
Bronny faced challenges during Summer League, averaging just 8.8 points per game while playing the second-most minutes among Lakers players at 25.1. His shooting efficiency also suffered, as he hit only 35.0% of his shots and 15.8% from beyond the arc.
However, Shumpert insists that many rookies face similar challenges in their initial games.
“Because of where he grew up in that household — and I'm sure they watch a ton of tape – but I just watched the kid play this summer. I watched him play and all I could think was, if anybody else was making these mistakes, it's all part of being a rookie,” LeBron James former teammate said.
Shumpert also chiming in on when LeBron James will retire
Shumpert also shared his thoughts on when he believes the 39-year-old will retire, predicting that James will continue to play for another two or three years. He went even further, suggesting that James will finish his career with the Lakers.
Over the past few years, fans have speculated about when LeBron James would officially retire. However, after signing a new two-year contract and the team's decision to draft his son, Bronny James, it appears the four-time champion has no plans to leave the game anytime soon.
“I'll say this – he's capable of three. I want to say after Year 2 with his son [Bronny], I want to say he puts it down. If he gives us one more after that, cool. I think he's going to let Bronny get through Year 1 and 2 and then it's like, ‘Yeah, he's got it.' If Bronny comes out here and just kills in his first year and just goes crazy? I think ‘Bron would put it down after this year,” Shumpert remarked.
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Despite pushing 40, James shows no indications of decline. Last season, the NBA's all-time leading scorer averaged 25.7 points per game, achieving a career-high 41.0% shooting from three-point range and participating in 71 games, the highest number since the 2017-18 season.
Meanwhile, at 34, Shumpert hasn't played in the NBA since the 2020-21 season, during which he made two appearances with the Brooklyn Nets on a 10-day contract.
Iman Shumpert enjoyed a lengthy NBA career, spanning 10 seasons after the New York Knicks selected him in the first round of the 2011 draft. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard spent his first four years with the Knicks, establishing himself as a reliable perimeter defender and earning All-Rookie First Team honors, all while showcasing his three-point shooting ability.
The best times of his career was during his four year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played a crucial role in the team that defeated the 73-win Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
He was instrumental in helping the Cavaliers overcome a 3-1 hole, marking the first time in Finals history that a team achieved such a comeback against the record-setting Warriors.
