Lakers' LeBron James Says Bronny 'Doesn't Give a F--k' About Critics

LeBron James believes that his son is unphased by outside noise following his Summer League debut on Saturday.

James said that Bronny, who the Los Angeles Lakers selected No. 55 overall in the NBA draft, "doesn't care" what critics say about him, differing from the way James was during his rookie season.

"I don't know if people really understand Bronny," James said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "He doesn't care. I actually care a little bit. When I came in [as a rookie], I wanted people to like me and some of the things that people were saying about me kind of bothered me early on in my career. ... He doesn't give a f--k.

"He does not care about nobody. He doesn't even listen to that stuff. He's like the coolest. He's like the complete opposite of his dad. His dad will say something [to address the critics]. Bro does not care. ... Everything that's being said about him, he really does not care."

Bronny played in his first Summer League game on Saturday, notching four points, two rebounds and two assists.

Being the son of an NBA legend, Bronny has likely gotten used to the high expectations he's facing as he begins his journey at the next level.

Bronny didn't necessarily live up to the expectations at the collegiate level, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game for USC last year, but as James noted after Bronny's Summer League debut, he's behind schedule due to the cardiac arrest he suffered last summer, which forced him to miss part of the season.

"The only thing that matters is him getting better and stacking days," James said on Sunday "He missed a big part of the season last year because of the incident less than a year ago. He's behind as far as where he would have been if he played the full season. Everyday, every practice, every film session he feels like he's getting better and better. That's the only thing that matters."

Playing in Summer League will give Bronny the chance to continue developing while playing against NBA-level competition. Bronny missed the Lakers' second Summer League game on Sunday due to knee swelling, but he will look to get back on the court soon.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in early July that Bronny is set to begin the season with the Lakers alongside his father but is then expected to spend most of the year in the G League.