NCAA Basketball: Bronny James stock continues to rise at NBA Draft Combine

With the June 27th NBA Draft vastly approaching, the work leading up to it has begun. For some, the NBA Draft Combine isn't important to their overall draft stock, while for others, it is vital opportunity to grow, learn, and show scouts that you are a player that can play at the next level in the NBA. Bronny James has used this to express himself and show his capabilities on and off the basketball court, and he has taken full advantage of it thus far. 

James went into the combine valued as a late second rounder or undrafted prospect. But with his name, many still believed a team would jump on the opportunity to select him. Although, he made it very clear from the get-go he wasn't here to be referred to as LeBron James kid. He wants to be himself, showcase his unique skills, create his own name for himelf, and that is exactly what he has done.

So far at the combine, James shot 19-25 on a three-point shooting drill, recorded the 4th highest vertical leap at 40.5 inches, and has a 6-foot-7 wingspan, which was a bright side of his undersized stature listed at 6-foot-1. According to ESPN's top 100 rankings, he went from being ranked as the 94th best prospect entering the NBA Draft to the 54th after just a couple days of combine work. 

He also impressed heavily in the scrimmages in front of many executives, including Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers. He played both sides of the ball at a high level and had plenty of intensity on the defensive end, which is a key attribute of his overall game. 

The USC product is a sound athlete with the ability to play both sides of the ball at an effective level. When being interviewed, he said that the three players he models his game after and who have the impact on winning that he hopes to have are Derrick White, Davion Mitchell, and Jrue Holiday. All accomplished and impactful basketball players. 

James has lived in the shadow of his dad for his entire life, and rightfully so; his father is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. However, this has also translated to a lot of unwanted and unnecessary hate and dislike towards a 19-year-old who is simply trying to accomplish his goal of getting to the NBA, no matter the circumstances.