Bronny James for ROTY? Some sportsbooks are saying so.
After hitting a big shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the Las Vegas Summer League, Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James broke the internet. Now, the Lakers rookie is also breaking sports books, landing the most bets on winning Rookie of the Year next season.
This isn’t the first time James has been the center of sports betting attention. James also attracted unexpected interest from bettors to be the No. 1 overall pick, and the attention has continued during the Las Vegas Summer League. The SuperBook in Las Vegas offers prop bets on only one player in the Las Vegas Summer League: Los Angeles rookie Bronny James.
Bronny James for Rookie of the Year?
Considering the hype surrounding James and the sheer volume of bets thrown his way compared to his play on the court, it feels like a massive long shot who happens to share names with LeBron James.
It will take time for the younger James to become a decent NBA player. The 19-year-old had to step away from basketball for a little while after suffering a cardiac arrest episode last summer ahead of his freshman year at the University of Southern California. Some believe his freshman numbers with the Trojans were lackluster, and he’s been subpar with the Lakers during Summer League play.
James has averaged 8.8 points on 35.0% shooting, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 2.5 turnovers in 25.1 minutes per game. He’s only connecting on 15.8% of his 4.8 three-point attempts per game. Sure, it took several games for James to get rolling in Las Vegas Summer League action. After solid performances against the summertime Cavs and Atlanta Hawks, James silenced some of his critics and haters.
However, those numbers, along with the fact that the Lakers are looking to contend and not develop young talent most nights, drive home how out of control these Rookie of the Year bets being thrown at James are. James has attracted nearly one in four bets on Rookie of the Year at ESPN BET. BetMGM reported taking a $1,000 Rookie of the Year bet on James at 250-1 on July 6 from a bettor in Ontario, and DraftKings said that only Memphis Grizzlies big man Zach Edey had attracted more money wagered than James in its Rookie of the Year bets.
Four-figure bets on the Rookie of the Year, like James is getting, are rare, and betting on any award is typically unexpected nearly a year before the winner is announced. Hopefully, the hype surrounding James simmers once the regular season begins, and he spends more time in the NBA G League with the South Bay Lakers since this is another level of unfair and unrealistic pressure being thrown at James. He has the physical potential to be a great player one day but, despite what bettors think, he isn’t a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate.
