No LeBron James, no Luka Doncic, no Austin Reaves—just a Los Angeles Lakers team struggling to stay afloat. Thursday night was brutal, a crushing 29-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. It was ugly, a game to forget but also to learn from. Yet, in the middle of the wreckage, one moment stood out. Bronny James had his best night yet—seventeen points, a career-high, a season-high. A small victory in a sea of disappointment. But was it enough? Not for those watching his every move.
American columnist Rob Parker closely observed James Jr.’s game, and to say he wasn’t impressed, not even a tad would be an understatement. Therefore, Parker didn’t skip a beat to go all-out in criticizing not just Bronny James but everyone who hyped his “achievement.” Speaking on The Odd Couple podcast, the veteran Fox Sports columnist didn’t hold back.
“I’m trying to really put my thoughts together because once again, people have overreacted,” Rob Parker said sounding seemingly upset. “Who in the world trumpets a 17-point performance in a 29-0 loss where the game was never really in doubt? With all the injuries and whatnot? Seriously? I mean, really? That’s the game?”
He further added: “I remember when he was in Philadelphia, and they gave him some extended minutes. He looked like a fish out of water. Do you remember that game?” Referring to the game the Lakers played vs. the 76ers on Jan 29.
Mar 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Bronny had played 15 minutes without scoring a single point. That day, LeBron had decided on silence, and on Thursday too, the 40YO chose silence despite his son’s new milestone. Isn’t that odd? But that’s something to discuss in a while. Coming back to Bronny James, Rob Parker had more to talk about.
“All of Bronny’s points, all of his stats—garbage time. That wasn’t a real game. That was not a real game. If he did that in Philadelphia earlier this year, when they put him in extended minutes, you’d get my attention. I don’t value this at all,” the veteran retorted sharply. This disregard for James Jr. and his efforts seems a bit harsh, but at the end of the day, it is the reality. Bronny is averaging 2.3 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and has a 35.4 FG%. Far from impressive, yet he’s trying.
For Rob Parker Bronny’s big night was meaningless. “There’s a difference between meaningful games. That’s why they call it garbage minutes.” To him, it was just cleanup duty, nothing more. “There was no game.” No stakes. Just a roster gap he happened to fill. The hype? Unwarranted. “That’s it. That’s all I took from it.” And while critics continue to hit the rookie with their angry rants, Papa James has gone radio silent on Bronny. Concerning enough?
LeBron James is showing abnormal behavior towards Bronny James’ criticisms
Rob Parker pointed out something intriguing in his angry rant session. The veteran recalled the Lakers’ matchup vs. the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in January this year. Most importantly, LeBron James had chipped in 31 points while James Jr. settled with zero to his name despite the 15 minutes of floor time. Surprisingly enough, Bronny’s setback didn’t trigger his father to take up his social media and become Bronny James’ protective dad. “Where was LeBron James talking about “leave the kid alone”? Where was that tweet about the mean media?” Parker bluntly asked.
He further continued: “Oh, it was okay that all the talking heads on TV this morning were bigging up Bronny now? I thought you wanted everybody to leave him alone so the kid could develop and just play. Oh, today was good ’cause it was positive? Oh yeah? Did you see my boy? Did you see the kid? Do you see what he was able to do? “I told you he could play.” Rob Parker didn’t let LeBron off the hook. He pointed out the sudden silence from the Lakers star when the media praised Bronny.
Feb 20, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates victory over the Portland Trail Blazers with his son guard Bronny James (9) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Just days ago, LeBron wanted everyone to leave his son alone, but now that the headlines were positive, there were no complaints. Parker saw it as a double standard—criticism was unfair, but hype was welcome. To him, it was clear LeBron only had an issue when the narrative didn’t suit him. Moreover, Bron has been pretty silent since Stephen A. Smith’s plea where he requested the Akron Hammer to stop the humiliation and limelight on Bronny James. Moreover, LeBron isn’t even reacting to the social media commending his firstborn for his efforts vs. the Bucks.
Thus as you can see, Bronny James‘ big night meant nothing to Rob Parker. Just empty stats in a lost game. Meanwhile, LeBron’s silence spoke volumes. He fought back when the criticism was loud but stayed quiet when the praise rolled in. A double standard? Maybe. Or maybe, deep down, even LeBron knows the truth—Bronny still has a long way to go.
The post Fox Sports Vet Puts Bronny James on Blast After Career Night as LeBron James’ Unusual Behavior Comes to Light appeared first on EssentiallySports.
