Recently, the Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their preseason basketball slate against the Phoenix Suns without both Luka Doncic and LeBron James in the lineup. The Lakers predictably struggled on offense, with Austin Reaves doing much of the heavy lifting but not getting much help from his teammates.

One of those teammates who struggled was second-year guard Bronny James, son of LeBron, who had some moments during Summer League this year as he vies for a spot in JJ Redick's rotation.

One person who isn't impressed with what he's seen from James thus far is former Lakers big man Kwame Brown, who took to his Kwame Brown Bust Life YouTube channel to relay his thoughts.

“This ain't year one. This is year two. This is year two. This don't make no sense. We got high school players better than Bronny. Absolutely got high school players better than Bronny,” said Brown. “Bronny was never the best high school player on his team. He was never the best college player on his team. And he still gets 12 shots in a preseason game where everybody's auditioning where nobody normally passes the ball.”

Brown even went so far as to send a demotivational message to his listeners.

“And for every young man that thinks that you can just be the president or you can get in the league and you gonna get a fair shake at it. I think LeBron James situation just proved. [__] the narrative that they tried to say, ‘Oh, it's nepotism.' No, I think this LeBron James situation just proved that politics is in everything,” said Brown.

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A rough start for Bronny

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) waits for his team to exit Moda Center after the Lakers were defeated by Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Bronny James reveals how he hates playing in the NBA Summer League and how his cardiac arrest still affects him.
Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

In 2024-25, Bronny James didn't get much playing time with the Lakers, and it's not looking likely that he will in Year 2 either, even with Los Angeles' shortcomings in the backcourt department.

Players like Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, and Marcus Smart will be ahead of James in the Lakers' rotation, but it is possible that he still sees some minutes in blowouts this year, just as he did during his rookie season.

In any case, the Lakers are set to kick off their 2025-26 campaign at home against the Golden State Warriors on October 21.