LeBron James’ son Bronny James claims he will “get through” the doubters, but those haters are not sports bettors.
BetMGM tells The Post that James (250/1) has received one-third of all bets on the NBA Rookie of the Year market, more than double the second-most bet-on option in Memphis’ Zach Edey (16 percent).
The insane volume of wagers has resulted in 17.5 percent of the handle, the second-most behind Edey (51.3 percent).
BetMGM won’t divulge how much money is actually being pumped into these markets and, by default, these James bets, but it’s fair to say these are just donations to the sportsbook in an incredible volume.
James was drafted No. 55 overall by the Lakers, which would be the lowest draft pick ever to win NBA Rookie of the Year, a record held by Malcolm Brogdon, who won in 2017 after being drafted No. 36.
In the 1950s, two players won Rookie of the Year after being undrafted: Monk Meineke (1953) and Elgin Baylor (1959).
James will represent the Lakers while wearing the same jersey as his father, LeBron, who will be re-signing with the franchise on a two-year, $104 million deal.
“Our biggest liability is Bronny,” BetMGM’s Christian Cipollini told Vegas Insider’s Patrick Everson. “It’s the first time we’ve seen something like this, where the public is all over a late second-round pick.”
These bets are more than likely to never have a chance at winning, considering James should be behind guards D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, Max Christie, Dalton Knecht, and perhaps even Cam Reddish and Jalen Hood-Schifino, on the Lakers’ depth chart.
With no clear route to playing time, these bets seem to be closer to wagers on his name than his actual chances to win.
Betting on the NBA?
- Check out the best NBA betting sites
- Read our guide on how to bet on basketball
- Get the latest NBA Championship odds
- Use the North Carolina betting apps
James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 25 games and only six starts while playing for USC.
He shot just 26.7 percent from 3-point range, but teams who scouted James expect him to develop an outside shot if he continues to develop his game.