LeBron James is gone from the Lakers, and Matt Barnes believes that could be the best thing for Bronny James.
Barnes made that case in a recent TMZ conversation, arguing that the younger James finally gets a chance to step out from under the shadow that has followed him since he entered the league.
“A lot of people want to say his dad got him drafted,” Barnes said. “And that may be true, may not be true, but Bronny has a lot of talent.
And I just thought if he would have even stayed one more year [at USC], he could have did it on his own. So I think, now he’s going into year three, if I’m not mistaken.
I definitely think he’s got some talent, and he’s someone that’s just going to have to show the world to shut people up.
“I think it’s great now that obviously Bron is gone and Bronny’s kind of on his own,” Barnes continued. “I think that’s something that he was kind of looking forward to, to kind of just say, ‘Hey, you know, I could do this without my dad.'”
That reaction comes after a long stretch of speculation that LeBron was the reason the Lakers took Bronny with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The selection was widely viewed as a move to keep the superstar satisfied, especially given how Bronny’s college path unfolded.
Bronny arrived at USC in 2023, but his college career hit a major setback before he ever played a game. He suffered a cardiac arrest on July 24, 2023, during a practice session at USC and had to be rushed to a hospital.
He was soon declared stable, but questions lingered about whether he would continue playing at all. He decided to push on, though his freshman season did not produce much production. In 2023-24, Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game before heading to the pros.
Barnes said he would have preferred to see Bronny spend another year at USC, both for his development and because it would have cut down on the nepotism talk around him.
The 21-year-old has since taken another step forward in the NBA. In 2025-26, he averaged 2.9 points, 0.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game for the Lakers, and Barnes also had a simple message for him.
“Just keep doing your thing, man,” Barnes said. “Shut the bulls*** out.
I think his dad’s probably been able to teach him that. The only thing that matters is his circle and his game.
And I know he’s been working hard on his game. I’ve seen him play a lot of golf.
He’s nice at golf, too. But I think that he’s locked in, and I think he has a chip on his shoulder to be able to prove people that he’s able to do it without his pops.”
What comes next for Bronny in Los Angeles will be worth watching. The Lakers do not have many strong defenders, and defense is his calling card, which could mean a larger role than he has had before.
There was also some uncertainty about whether he would remain with the Lakers after LeBron’s departure, but that quickly faded. The team wants to keep him, would demand real value in any trade, and likes what it has seen so far. The Lakers also want to see him keep developing in 2026-27.
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