Bronny James and The G League: Is It All Bad?
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Do we criticize a rose seed before it fully develops into a rose? Or is there an understanding that the seed needs proper living conditions and time to stimulate itself into its mature state? Who gave who the authority to abrasively haze and gaslight athletes such as Bronny James, for entering into the G League? It's an infrastructure for growth, thats it.
It's safe to say that Bronny James is one of the, if not the most, controversial athletes in the NBA currently. News came out last night that Bronny has been moved to the South Bay G League team. Many people have a variety of opinions when it comes to this move regarding James, but thats not what this article is about. It's about dismantling the narratives that being an athlete in the G league is bad.
Truthfully, the negative stigmas around being an athlete for the G League are a bit, uncalled for. Wasn't the G League put in place for the means of enhancing player development? A steady transition into the highest level of playing, preparing athletes with a realistic perspective of what's to come? According to the NBA G league website, its purpose serves to “prepare players, coaches, officials, trainers and front office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory.” They are telling us that the foundation was built to serve as a catalyst for all personnel embarking on pursuing a career in the NBA. So again, who gave who the authority to gaslight these athletes?
We could draw parallels between the G League and an internship, where players gain practical, hands-on experience in a professional setting. Much like an internship bridging the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. The G League allows players to take their college basketball acumen and grow it in a competitive, professional environment. Also enveloping valuable networking opportunities and a chance to explore career options.
It's totally preposterous to degrade the G League because it simply lacks a huge history of rivalries or the massive audiences or the multi-million dollar contracts. Is this all about fame and money? If so, we need to have a different conversation. These men are not trading stock; they are humans. Spare them.
