ESPN seemingly upset one LeBron James by releasing its latest NBA mock draft on Monday.
While Bronny James was earmarked as a second-round pick in their previous mock drafts, the latest list excluded him altogether and instead projected him to be selected in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The projections fueled all sorts of reactions on social media, with some imploring Bronny to stay in USC for a sophomore year to hone his craft, and others concluding that the 19-year-old is simply not cut out for the NBA.
James decided to weigh in on the hot-button subject via X through a pair of since-deleted posts.
“Can yall please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball,” James wrote, via Sports Illustrated. “The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y’all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!
“And to all the other kids out there striving to be great just keep your head down, blinders on and keep grinding. These Mock Drafts doesn’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE! “
