No matter how hard he tries, Bronny James simply cannot escape the spotlight his legendary father created. And more often than not, being the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is an incredible thing. However, there are times when things can get out of hand.
At the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts — one of the nation's premier high school events — Bronny James was getting ready to inbound the ball when a young fan threw a piece of trash toward the NBA superstar's son. The Sierra Canyon and Paul VI Catholic game at Springfield College was ultimately stopped and the referee had a police officer and security guards attend to the situation.
Thanks to Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports, the incident was caught on film.
Fan Throws Trash at Bronny James
What makes the situation even more awkward was LeBron James was actually in attendance on Monday afternoon before the Lakers faced the Boston Celtics later that night.
Since he was on the opposite end of the floor, James didn't see what happened until he arrived back in Boston, but it definitely made him mad when he saw the video.
He was even asked about the trash and his son Bronny after his game.
LeBron James Reaction
"It's just disrespectful, and it was a little kid, too. I don't know how old that little kid was. I don't know. I don't know if he learned that on his own or learned it at home or whatever the case may be, but it's disrespectful. I wonder how old that kid is. If he was around Bronny's age or Bryce's age, I would like to see him try that while they're paying attention....
"...He's cool, calm. He's better than his mom and dad, let's just say that. He is. He's better than his mom and dad for some of the things he kind of lets off his shoulder... He's a great kid and, most importantly, he just loves being around his teammates, being a great kid, being a model citizen in the community, and playing the game he loves to play. Being a big brother to his brother and sister. But that s—earlier made me mad when I saw that. It's just disrespectful."
The incident with LeBron James Jr., which happened in the third quarter of the high school game, was also caught by ESPN cameras, too.
"Hating has no age limit! #JamesGang is build for it and well equipped. As we proceed," LeBron James posted on social media.
This was a high school basketball game and Bronny James is just a freshman. To say it's uncalled for is an understatement, but people will apparently do anything for their 15 seconds of fame and shame.
This article was originally published January 21, 2020. As a reminder, it's never alright to throw things at players. Ever.
