Skip Bayless believes Bronny James, now a Laker, has a stronger clutch gene than his father, LeBron James.

Skip Bayless recently shared his thoughts on Bronny James during an episode of “The Skip Bayless Show” after Bronny signed his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bayless believes that Bronny possesses a stronger clutch gene than his father, LeBron James.

“Bronny signed sealed and delivered now with the Lakers. He’s on a guaranteed Laker contract there’s no G League involved here. He’s going to be on the Laker roster as I said from day one and he’s going to play fairly significant minutes fairly quickly. I don’t know how many that’ll be and I am a Bronny fan.”

“In fact, I think Bronny is built even tougher than his father is, because Bronny’s been through a lot in his life, in the harshest spotlight any kid could ever be thrust into as LeBron James Jr. I love how Bronny’s handled this.”

“I get a good feeling every time I watch him not only play basketball but just handle himself, carry himself. Kid’s got a backbone. Kid’s got guts. Kid’s got principle and character. His parents did a good job raising him. I think he’ll be more calm, cool, and collected in the eye of next year’s storm than even his father will be.”

“I think he’ll play pretty well alongside his father, but it is going to be circus material because you have a first-time head coach trying to juggle minutes with Bronny and proven veterans who are not going to love it when Bronny gets his 12 minutes, 14 minutes, and 16 minutes, and maybe even some nights 20 minutes a game playing alongside, if not in place of, his father.”

Bayless praised Bronny for securing a guaranteed contract with the Lakers, emphasizing that he would be on the main roster, not the G League. He predicted that Bronny would play significant minutes fairly quickly, despite being a rookie.

Bayless expressed his admiration for Bronny, stating that he is built tougher than LeBron due to the intense scrutiny and pressure he has faced throughout his life as LeBron James Jr. He commended Bronny for handling the spotlight with grace and resilience, showing backbone, guts, and character.

Bayless also suggested that Bronny might handle the pressures of the upcoming NBA season better than his father, maintaining calmness and composure amidst the chaos. He anticipated that Bronny would perform well alongside LeBron, despite the potential challenges of managing playing time with a roster full of veterans.

“I think Bronny will be pretty good. I think he’ll become a clutch three-point shooter. I’ve always gotten the feeling that Bronny had a bigger clutch gene than his father does. McDonald’s game, he was in the spotlight and they went to him late two or three times and he just nailed threes.”

“He did not shoot the three well at USC but I’m giving him a complete and utter break because I’m knocking on wood for him. He had a serious heart condition that waylaid him to start his first year of college basketball at USC and it just never quite got going and I get it and that team never quite got going around Isaiah Collier who I thought was going to be the first pick in the draft.”

“He fell all the way to the bottom of the first round I’m throwing all that out because I think that Bronny, at only 6’1.5″, will become a very credible, if not difference-making, on-ball defender. I think that body of his, which already looks pretty good to me, will become more and more of a man body.”

“I think that body of his, which already looks pretty good to me, will become more and more of a man body. So I like what Bronny will bring, except it’s going to be very difficult on JJ Redick to juggle minutes and egos down the bench.”

Bayless highlighted Bronny’s potential as a clutch three-point shooter, recalling how he nailed crucial shots during the McDonald’s All-American Game. Although Bronny did not shoot well from beyond the arc at USC, Bayless attributed this to the serious heart condition that affected his college basketball season, giving him a pass for that period.

Furthermore, Bayless expressed confidence in Bronny’s development as a formidable on-ball defender, noting his already impressive physique and predicting it would only improve. He acknowledged the challenges that new Lakers head coach JJ Redick would face in balancing minutes and managing egos but remained optimistic about Bronny’s contribution to the team.

Bayless sees Bronny as a significant addition to the Lakers, one who could potentially exceed his father’s clutch performance in critical moments. His strong belief in Bronny’s abilities and character underscores a bright future for the young player as he embarks on his NBA journey alongside LeBron.