“Let the talk fuel you” - Cowboys legend sends message to Bronny James after Lakers’ player’s performance vs. Bucks

A Dallas Cowboys legend had a simple message for all the criticism thrown at a former high school basketball superstar on Thursday. Since the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft, the youngster has faced accusations of benefitting due to nepotism.

Many people believe that he’s only where he’s at because of his father, legendary Lakers forward LeBron James.

On X, Dez Bryant’s message to Bronny was:

“Let the talk fuel you.”

In Thursday’s 118-89 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Bronny James had a career-high 17 points to go along with three rebounds and five assists. He went 7-of-10 in field goals and shooting 2-of-4 from 3-point range.

That defeat ended the Lakers’ three-game winning streak. They now sit fourth in the Western Conference standings, with a game in hand on the Denver Nuggets for third.

Bronny’s father has been out of the Lakers lineup since March 8 because of a groin strain, but the Lakers coach, JJ Redick, believes he’ll be ready to return soon.

Reddick also praised Bronny for dealing with criticism in his NBA rookie season.

“I’ve just been impressed with the person that he is,” he told ESPN on Thursday.

“And to deal with ... frankly, bulls--- because of who his dad is and just keep a level head about it and be a class act says a lot about him, says a lot about that family," Reddick went on to say.

So far this season, Bronny James has averaged 5.8 minutes of playing time per game and 2.3 points per game.

Bronny’s numbers heading into the NBA

Before coming into his first season as a pro basketball player, James had some impressive performances in the Lakers G-League, where he played for the South Bay Lakers.

He averaged 20.6 points per game on 43.1% shooting, with a percentage of 36.1 beyond the arc. He also had five rebounds per game and averaged 5.1 assists with 1.8 steals in 33.5 minutes across nine contests.

Despite all the flak he’s gotten from the outside with people saying he doesn’t deserve to be where he’s at, Bronny says he’s developed a lot of confidence from the team.

“Just all the coaches believing in me and continue to put that in my head that they believe in me and what I can do as a player,” said Bronny.

Bronny has had to do it lately not only without his father but also star Luka Doncic, who is dealing with an ankle injury.

In high school, Bronny was a McDonalds All-American.