Charles Barkley Weighs In On Why He Thinks Bronny James Is Not A “Finished Product”

Charles Barkley believes Bronny James is not yet a “finished product.”

Bronny James and Charles Barkley (Images Credit: Getty Images)
After a quiet Summer League performance, Bronny James struggled in the first three preseason games with the Los Angeles Lakers. Fans slammed Bronny as he went scoreless in the Lakers preseason games against the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks. As LeBron James’ son, Bronny has been in the spotlight since his highly anticipated NBA draft, and his ongoing struggles have only increased attention

During a recent appearance on the Throwbacks podcast, former NBA star Charles Barkley shared his thoughts on Bronny’s situation, stating that Bronny is still developing. Barkley explained why he believes Bronny is not yet a “finished product.”

“I’m glad he’s just healthy, and we’re all rooting for him because we have so much respect for LeBron. It’s not going to be easy because he has a target on his back because of his last name. I’m really looking forward to it; you know they’ve got to handle this thing with ‘kid gloves’ literally because they just can’t put him out there because he’s not a finished product yet,” Barkley said.


“But man, it’s a great story. I think we saw the Griffeys play in baseball, but I can’t think of anybody else where father and son played a pro sport together, not this way,” he added.

Bronny James’ Preseason Performance Raises Concerns with Lowest +/- in the League

Bronny James currently has the lowest plus/minus rating among all NBA players who have participated in minutes during the first three preseason games. In the Lakers’ opening preseason match against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he played for 16 minutes, contributing 2 points, one rebound, and one assist

In his second preseason game against the Suns, Bronny shared the court with his father for the first time. He played for 13 minutes but did not score any points. During the Lakers’ first preseason victory against the Bucks, Bronny played just 6 minutes but failed to record any points, rebounds, or assists.