Ken Griffey Jr. takes a bold stance on Bronny James’ upcoming Lakers G League assignment

As the son of teammate LeBron James, Lakers rookie Bronny James is no stranger to the tutelage of all-time greats. As Bronny James begins his professional career, that guidance comes from greats across all sports.

On opening night, the Lakers’ father-son duo made history when they shared the floor as teammates. Poetically, Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey Jr. – MLB’s first father-son duo – in attendance.

It turns out the moment was more than just a photo opportunity for the father-son pairings. The younger Griffey recently revealed some of the wisdom he imparted to his fellow second-generation professional.

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“I told Bronny to just relax, enjoy it, be yourself. You’re not going to be him. Nobody is him,” Griffey explained during an appearance on “Nightcap” with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson.

Ken Griffey Jr. continued, adding a relatively bold take on Bronny James’ upcoming assignment to the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ NBA G League affiliate.

“You’re going to learn a lot from being able to sit there and watch LeBron on the bench,” the Hall of Famer continued. “People say he needs to be in the G-League and he needs this and that. I’ll tell you what, I learned more from watching my dad there than anything.”

Shortly after the Lakers drafted Bronny James, they outlined a plan to send him to the G League to develop him into a rotation player at the NBA level. Ken Griffey Jr. seems to believe that observation is the best teacher and thinks that Bronny James’ best chance to learn is by watching his father from the sidelines.

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Comparing basketball to baseball is apples to oranges, but it’s worth noting that Ken Griffey Jr. was drafted in 1987 and spent two seasons in the minors before making his MLB debut.

Bronny James will likely travel back and forth between Los Angeles and the South Bay during his rookie year, but that shouldn’t be seen as a deterrent to his development. He has also watched his father excel in the NBA up close for most of his life, including recent seasons with the Lakers and at the Paris Olympics.

As evidenced by Bronny James’ selection in the draft, his family and the Lakers have a plan in place. With that in mind, it’s fair to assume his G League assignments are a crucial part of keeping the long-term plan moving.