Bronny James Says ‘It’s Tough’ Being the Son of LeBron James: ‘A Lot of Criticism Gets Thrown My Way’

"[People] don’t know what I’ve been through. But yeah, I just try to make the best of [the] opportunities that’s given to me," he said

Bronny James is getting candid about his spotlight in basketball as the son of NBA legend LeBron James.

The 19-year-old, who is currently a freshman at USC, recently opened up about his decision to become a professional NBA player and the public scrutiny he’s gotten as the four-time NBA champion’s son.

"It's tough,” Bronny admitted in an interview with NBA Central. “A lot of criticism gets thrown my way, but you know, I’ve got to deal with it.”

"They don’t know what I’ve been through,” he added of his critics. “But yeah, I just try to make the best of [the] opportunities that’s given to me.”

Related: Bronny James Declares for the 2024 NBA Draft After 1 Season of College Basketball: 'Always Thankful'

Bronny declared for the 2024 NBA Draft last month after playing one season with USC’s Trojans basketball team. When asked about his decision-making process in jumping from college division basketball to the professional league, he told NBA Central that it had all to do with following his heart.

“You know I always want to end up where I’m happy the most,” he said. “[My] mom has always told me you know, ‘take me where my heart wants me to be,’ and I just found happiness in what I’m doing right now, and I feel like that’s where I want myself to be at.”

The college student was also asked if basketball was always the goal or if there were other sports that he had considered, to which Bronny replied, “No.”

“I mean I’ve played other sports,” he explained. “I played soccer. [I] wasn’t allowed to play football. My mom didn’t allow that. So yeah, I’ve always been a sports guy, but basketball was just my cup of tea.”

Related: LeBron James Defends Son Bronny After He's Dropped from 2024 NBA Mock Draft: ‘Only the Work Matters!’

The USC freshman initially announced his intentions of going pro on Instagram in April alongside a photo of him playing for the Trojans.

“I’ve had a year with some ups and downs but all added growth for me as a man, student and athlete,” James, 19, wrote about his first year in college. “I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal.”

James continued, “Thank you to USC for an amazing freshman year, and as always thankful for my family, friends, doctors, athletic trainers and fans for their support.”

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LeBron has previously voice his support for his son — wherever basketball takes him.

"It's up to him," LeBron said about Bronny's draft status during NBA All-Star Game Weekend in February. "It's up to the kid. Obviously we gonna go through the whole process. ... We gonna weigh our options, and we gonna let the kid make the decision."

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