Despite coming into the NBA as the No. 55 pick, Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James is the most talked about prospect in the league because he is the son of future Hall of Famer, LeBron James.
Bronny James has had an up-and-down run in the Las Vegas Summer League thus far, but despite this, many bettors like his chances of winning the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year award, according to David Purdum of ESPN.
“More bets have been placed on Bronny James to win Rookie of the Year (ROY) than any other player at multiple sportsbooks. James has attracted nearly one in four of the bets placed on the ROY market at ESPN BET. BetMGM reported taking a $1,000 ROY bet on James at 250-1 on July 6, from a bettor in Ontario, and DraftKings said that only [Zach] Edey had attracted more money wagered than James in its ROY market,” Purdum wrote in his column.
“Four-figure bets on the Rookie of the Year in July are rare, and betting on any award is typically light 10 months before the winner is announced, but bookmakers are noticing an undeniable interest in the son of LeBron James from bettors,” he added.
If the bettors speak this into existence, Bronny James will become the second second-round pick to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award since 1965. Malcolm Brogdon was the last person to do it in 2017 while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bronny James is trending back up for the Los Angeles Lakers
After struggling mightily in the first few Summer League games, Bronny James has picked it up for the Los Angeles Lakers in their wins against the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bronny James recorded 12 points for 5-of-11 shooting against the Atlanta Hawks to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to an 87-86 victory on Wednesday.
Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the former USC guard racked up 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists on 50 percent shooting from the field.
