LeBron James has come to the defense of his son, Bronny James, following online chatter about ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft.

In a series of now-deleted messages on X (formerly Twitter), the Lakers icon urged everyone to let Bronny enjoy his college basketball experience without the pressure of constant speculation about his NBA future.

“Can yall please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball,” the Lakers star posted. “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!”

ESPN’s initial mock draft for 2024 had Bronny poised as a top-10 pick. However, a subsequent revision removed him from the list altogether, projecting him instead as a second-round pick in the 2025 draft.

According to ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony, Bronny’s absence from the 2024 mock draft was due to concerns about his health. Bronny faced a setback last July when he suffered a cardiac arrest, sidelining him for four months

“I know that accuracy isn’t a big thing for you guys, but he hasn’t been on the 2024 mock draft since his heart issue in July,” Givony clarified.

LeBron reiterated in his tweets that hard work and results, not mock drafts, will determine Bronny’s path.

“And to all the other kids out there striving to be great just keep your head down, blinders on and keep grinding,” he continued. “These Mock Drafts doesn’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE!”

Despite his health issues, Bronny James has shown resilience and determination on the court. Currently, he boasts an average of 5.5 points on 37.1% shooting, along with 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 19 games this season.