“Your name on the back comes with a target”: $21,500,000 worth Gilbert Arenas presents blunt opinion on being part of billionaire LeBron James' family

L.A. Lakers star LeBron James has been on the warpath ever since news broke that ESPN had dropped his son from its 2024 mock draft and instead moved him to the class of 2025.

Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas during an episode of the "Gil's Area" podcast put down the increased attention that Bronny receives to his father's reputation.

"His name is Bronny. That LeBron tag, being LeBron's kid just like Jordan's kids it comes with a target on the back no matter what. Just as there was in middle school, in high school, in college he's going to have the name. There's nothing that Bron can do to protect him," Arenas said.

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Basketball world has mixed reactions to LeBron James defending Bronny

The news that Bronny James had been removed from 2024 mock drafts and moved to the class of 2025 was shocking to basketball fans who had long thought of LeBron's son as a lottery pick.

LeBron James did not take too kindly to the news either, reacting ferociously to the news on his X account.

"Can y'all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball. 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!"

He added: "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!"

He later deleted the tweet, but not before it was seized upon by basketball fans and sports analysts due to the harsh reaction that was redirected back at LeBron James.

During an episode of "Undisputed," sports analyst Skip Bayless blamed LeBron for overreacting on X.

"LeBron is so proud of Bronny, and he wants to defend Bronny, but when he over defends, and it puts too much pressure on Bronny, so I think he took the tweets down because he's like, I gotta I overreacted here. I should just leave it alone. Because I'm drawing even more attention to something that doesn't need it," Bayless said.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, not one to hold back in his views, harshly criticized the Lakers star on an episode of "First Take" for his part in drawing undue attention to Bronny James.

"This is all his fault. All of it. Let me be very delicate, I'm not joking around, I'm not playing," Smith said. "You're gonna tweet about folks needing to leave your son alone? You did that... Own it. It's you. It's not the media."

Whether or not Bronny James ends up declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, the attention drawn to his situation with the NBA Draft will now be magnified after the unexpected reaction by LeBron James.