Lakers’ Bronny James: I Watched Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, More Growing Up

Andrew PetersOctober 16, 2024

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It’s no secret that Bronny James has been around basketball his entire life, watching his father, LeBron James, star in the NBA over the past two decades.

While his dad was probably the player he watched the most growing up, James also mentioned a few other names when asked about who he watched play as a kid. He said Allen Iverson, Jamal Crawford and Carmelo Anthony, a good friend of the James family, were among the stars he watched the most.

“Jamal Crawford, for sure. Melo, just because he was so close to us,” he said, per Men’s Health’s Hanif Abdurraqib. “I used to watch old Iverson highlights. And then Gilbert Arenas, because I played with him a bunch in 2K.”

For a kid growing up in the 2000s, that list makes perfect sense. Now James will look to take some things from each of those players’ games as he continues to develop.

The second-round pick out of USC hasn’t had the best start to his NBA career, posting 0.7 points, one rebound and 0.3 assists per game through three preseason games. It was somewhat expected that James would need a bit of time to improve, and he’ll likely spend some time in the G League to do so.