Skip Bayless Shares Harsh Opinion of Lakers' Bronny James

Skip Bayless has had a long career in the sports media world and is well known for his strong - and consistent - criticism of NBA legend and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Bayless has been one of James' biggest critics throughout his career, and it now seems that same scrutiny is extending to LeBron's son and Lakers teammate, Bronny James.

Bronny was drafted after one year at USC with the No. 55 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. He hasn't fully carved out a consistent role at the NBA level yet, but has found success in the G League, averaging 15.6 points per game this past season with the South Bay Lakers.

More recently, with injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, Bronny has stepped into a role off the bench and shown flashes of his potential. Still, Bayless doesn't believe he would be in the NBA if not for his father's stature.

"I don't," Bayless said. "Even though he's had some explosions that pleasantly surprised me in G League games, I still haven't seen enough from him at the pro level. I'm a big fan of Bronny as a human… He doesn't take himself maybe seriously enough. He didn't get his father's height… He's been timid in games, and I guess that's where you're LeBron James Jr.… He hasn't played with the aggression that I thought he was capable of."

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James has appeared in 42 games for the Lakers this season, and while he's struggled to find consistent minutes for much of the year, he has logged at least 12 minutes in each of the last four games and scored in double figures in three of his last six appearances with L.A., dating back to April 2 - when both Doncic and Reaves went down.

So while he may not have fully proven himself as an NBA player just yet, he has without question made strides in the right direction from his rookie to sophomore season with the Lakers.

His biggest opportunity may be coming as soon as Saturday, when the Lakers host the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs. With Doncic and Reaves both expected to miss the series, that could open the door for extended minutes - and potentially a chance for James to share the floor with his father.

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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 11:29 PM.