On Tuesday, Austin Rivers went on ESPN and gave his thoughts on a potential father and son team-up between Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and his firstborn, Bronny, who is currently playing for the USC Trojans. Rivers, being a second generation NBA player himself, said that he would like to see Bronny play somewhere where he's not in the shadow of his father.
“I don't want to see Bronny play with [LeBron]… I went through something similar… What happens is that everyone starts to discredit everything that you’ve done… Him getting drafted & playing with his dad, I don't want that negativity to come his way. He doesn't deserve it… [He needs to] play somewhere where he can niche out his own identity,” Rivers said.
"I don't want to see Bronny play with [LeBron]… Him getting drafted & playing with his dad, I don't want that negativity to come his way. He doesn't deserve it… [He needs to] play somewhere where he can niche out his own identity."
– Austin Riverspic.twitter.com/GwBK2C4GOl
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 5, 2024
This, however, was not a take that sat too well with retired forward Stephen Jackson. Jackson, in particular, found it incredulous that Austin Rivers would compare his situation with Doc Rivers to that of LeBron and Bronny James'. After all, the sheer star power of the James family dwarfs that of the Rivers'.
“And your daddy not LeBron. Shut up. Difference is you trash, Bronny not. You can’t compare to him scrub,” Jackson said, per Wenzell Ortiz of Sideline Sources.
Given how many fans LeBron James (and by extension, Bronny) has, it's a shocking turn of events that many fans clowned Stephen Jackson for his statement, coming to the defense of Austin Rivers, whose high-school mixtape continues to live fondly in the memories of many.
“These old niggas just be drunk and say stupid s**t! Austin Rivers was 10x better than Bronny in HS I’m starting to hate you podcast n***as,” @CJDeuce_ wrote on Twitter (X). Added @CP3_777, “This is wild, even for Stephen Jackson! Whatever point he’s trying to make will not be proven with revisionist history. Austin Rivers’ HS career as well as his 1-&-done year at Duke was exponentially better than anything Bronny James has accomplished. 💁🏻♂️”
Meanwhile, with Bronny James not exactly playing at a high level for USC, fans are pointing out that Austin Rivers, by age 19, was a much better player than LeBron James' son is.
Austin Rivers stats as a freshman on a 27-7 Duke team: 15.5ppg, 43% FG, 37% 3PT, 3.4rpg, 2.1apg
Bronny James stats on 9-13 USC team: 5.9ppg, 37% FG, 28% 3PT, 2.9rpg, 2.6apg https://t.co/3TGxwim724 pic.twitter.com/656v1yywZ3
— Austin Bates (@AustinBates111) February 6, 2024
Bronny wouldn’t get a bucket off Austin Rivers btw https://t.co/65XN9KV3HG pic.twitter.com/JNNjk9R7YT
— Jet Jackson (@Bari_3J) February 6, 2024
Who knew that February 6, 2024 would end up being “Show Love to Austin Rivers” day?
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