"I mean, he’s the middle child": NBA fans react to seemingly less hype around Bryce James compared to Bronny James

NBA fans have noted that LeBron James' son, Bryce James, has significantly less hype around his basketball career than his older brother, Bronny James. Bronny played 25 games in college and had a lot of hype surrounding him as he declared for the NBA draft.

Despite his underwhelming performance at the college level, the Lakers picked James with the No. 55 pick of the 2024 draft. Since his older brother arrived in the NBA, the hype around Bryce James’ basketball career has seemingly quieted down. On Saturday, X account @LegionHoops shared clips of Bryce James’ highlights, saying that he would be a problem.

Many reacted to the video, noting that fans are not nearly as excited about Bryce as they were about Bronny James. Some fans chimed in, saying that this was due to Bryce being the “middle child.” Others suggested it was due to Bronny being the better basketball player out of high school. Here are the most notable reactions on X:

“I mean, he’s the middle child,” one fan wrote.

2Tz

@Thereal2tz

@HanaHoops I mean he’s the middle child 😂

Pranav Sriraman

@PranavSriraman

@HanaHoops Because he’s not a fraction as good as Bronny was out of high school

THE FLU

@FLU_2Cold

@HanaHoops I feel like Bron hyped up Bronny because he needed it. It’s general knowledge that Bryce has been better then Bronny a few years now

Cultivated

@NotTheRealIsaac

@HanaHoops Because he’s way worse than Bronny

CJ Bagby

@cjbcool

@HanaHoops I'm glad he hasn't. He needs his flowers when he deserves them but let this kid grow. Too many eyes and expectations were on his brother. This might let him become his own person.

Bronny James played 27 games for the LA Lakers during his rookie year. It was a difficult time for him as he struggled to get playing time, averaging 2.3 points per game.

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“I'm not waiting on Bryce”: LeBron James not too eager on extending timeline after sharing court with Bronny James

When LeBron James and Bronny James took the court together last season, they made history as the first father-son duo to play in the league together. It was a big moment for the LA Lakers legend, who said that the event was a dream come true for him.

But Bryce James might not get the same opportunity after LeBron James told the media on Monday that he is not “waiting on Bryce.”

“I'm not waiting on Bryce," James said. "He has his own timeline, I got my timeline, and I don't know if they quite match up."

After opting into his player option on his contract, LeBron James is in the final season of his deal with the LA Lakers. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2025-26, leaving many to wonder whether he will sign another contract or retire after Year 23.