Bronny James was a highly touted recruit out of Sierra Canyon High School in Southern California and played one season at USC. He stepped onto campus with a lot of promise, but that was derailed when he went into cardiac arrest during practice before the season.

James was later cleared to return and made his debut on December 10, but never really found his feet. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 points per game for a Trojans team that did not make the NCAA tournament.

Rarely are players with these stats drafted by an NBA team, but the Lakers took Bronny in the second round with the 55th overall pick. The decision was immediately questioned by critics who alleged nepotism. If LeBron James wasn’t his father, they said, he wouldn’t have been selected.

That idea of ​​feeling undeserving is something Payton II experienced growing up. He said kids would tell him he would make a basketball team only because of his father. It wasn’t until he ’embraced’ it that he could fully be his own person.

Atlanta Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. had similar moments in high school and college from players and fans. He admitted he felt pressure to go to the NBA to prove he could live up to the high standards set by his father, a three-time All-Star and 1984 Slam Dunk champion.

But when Nance Jr. once he joined the professional ranks, all that weight lifted from his shoulders. Nobody ever said anything.

“There are a lot of guys in the league that have an NBA pedigree. But there are many more who didn’t make it,” he said. “There are no guys in the league who sit here and say, ‘Oh, you’re only here because of your name.’ You know better than that. You don’t get here on nepotism. That doesn’t work.”

Orlando Magic guard Jett Howard, the son of two-time NBA champion Juwan Howard, agreed.

“I feel like you can’t really tell a front office why they drafted a player,” Howard told NBC News. “Bronny is a great player and has great potential. That’s just my personal opinion, but people are entitled to how they feel. It’s Bronny’s job to prove them wrong.”

76ers forward KJ Martin, the son of former No. 1 draft pick and NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin, applauded the Lakers for their decision to draft LeBron’s son. After all, Bronny has shown that he can be a high-level player, despite the health condition that put him behind early on.

And it’s not like it was a lottery selection.

“People expect too much from him. When did anyone expect the 55th overall pick to come in and do something spectacular? said Martin. “Maybe he’s a little behind, which is fine.”

However, Martin said that if it was him, he would not have wanted to be picked by his father’s franchise.

“I am my own person. Just let me be my own person. That’s the only reason I wouldn’t do it,” he said. “I could probably say the same for my dad. He would want me to experience the NBA and figure it out for myself. I’m not saying LeBron won’t let Bronny do that, but at the same time, he’s there and he’ll be there every day, so it’s a little different.

But the presence of his father — one of the smartest players to ever play basketball — should ease Bronny’s transition to the league, Nance Jr. said.

Now on his fifth team in his ninth professional season, Nance Jr. is calling. still his father after every training and match. The two discuss the pace of play, the shots he made (and the shots he made). should has taken) and how he can improve his IQ on the field.

It’s just that there’s only so much they can do when they’re physically separated.

“I talk to my father after every training, but I have to describe the training to him. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I said, “Hey dad, remember that one play in practice?” And he says, ‘Yes.'” Nance Jr. said. “You can’t make it in the competition without help. So by putting him in a situation where he’s going to get arguably the best help and advice he can get, because that’s where his father is, I think he’s going to have a faster learning curve.

Where Bronny fits into the Lakers’ plans remains to be seen. With veteran stars like LeBron and Anthony Davis leading the team under new head coach JJ Redick, Los Angeles once again sees itself as a playoff contender. So it won’t be easy for Bronny to find minutes.

The likely scenario is that he starts the season in the NBA and eventually moves to the G League to further his growth. He won’t improve if he’s buried on the depth chart. This is especially true considering he didn’t even play a full season at USC.

Now in his eighth NBA season and an integral member of the Warriors, Payton II has spent parts of five seasons honing his skills to get where he is today. He said Bronny could see a similar story unfolding.

“I feel like the G League is going to help him a lot, just like it did me. It prepared me and made me ready for the real thing,” he said. “He’s got all the tools there. Once he gets his chance, once he comes back with the team and gets thrown in, he’ll be fine.”

“It’s just a lot of figuring out right now for him to know where his spot is and what it’s going to look like in real speed and in real time. But once he gets settled in and gets the power to things, Bronny will. have a great basketball career.”