Bronny James is already one of the most scrutinized athletes in the country, and he is only going to attract more attention when the 2024-25 NBA season begins this October. The Los Angeles Lakers rookie will be burdened with pressure and constant questioning, but for now, James is tackling something a little more light-hearted.

The 19-year-old guard ranked his top-five favorite players of all-time, an exercise that will inevitably draw strong reactions. While his No. 1 slot is no mystery of course, the rest of the list might surprise some fans, particularly those who strictly adhere to the Mamba Mentality.

The top-five is as follows, 1. LeBron James, 2. Stephen Curry, 3. Kyrie Irving, 4. Kevin Durant, 5. Anthony Edwards/Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (tie), via the Kyrie Center X account. It must be reiterated that these are the players who James enjoys watching the most, not the ones he considers to be the best in NBA history.

Given that Durant is the only other superstar aside from LeBron to debut before Bronny James' fifth birthday, it is safe to say that he is a huge fan of the modern game. The lack of big men would seemingly support that notion. Even so, many would have expected to hear Anthony Davis get some love, especially since the nine-time All-Star won a title with James' father in 2020.

Though, the omission that will elicit the strongest reactions is Lakers and NBA legend Kobe Bryant. The four-time champion was in decline before James even turned 10, but it is rare for him to be excluded from a list such as this one. That being said, it is easy to understand why the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft prefers the games of the players he mentioned.

Lakers' Bronny James will get to face some of his heroes

Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are all still active and have likely been profound influences on James' own NBA aspirations. This crop of elite talent possesses supreme shooting ability, exquisite ball-handling skills, stellar athleticism, eye-popping explosiveness and a great deal of confidence. Studying each player closely can only help Bronny James as he prepares for his inaugural campaign.

He has spent his formative basketball years watching these guys win awards, and championships in some cases. One can only imagine how weird he will feel when facing them for the first time in his career. LeBron James will be by his side to guide him through these challenging and surreal encounters.

The Lakers know that patience is needed when it comes to the development of their second-round selection, but they could use as many reliable bench contributors as they can get. While Bronny James tries to work past his offensive struggles in the NBA Summer League, the men who comprise his top-five are intent on either padding their Hall of Fame legacies or solidifying them.

Next season should be fun.