Coming from royalty can be a blessing and a curse, like being from the Wayans or the Smith family in Hollywood. That lineage of greatness puts the pressure on kids in the family to be just as successful and just as sensational.
In the world of sports, certain last names carry the same weight, especially the surname James. LeBron James is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of basketball. He’s the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, four-time champion and four-time MVP. He’s now old enough to accomplish a rare feat; play professionally at the same time as his son.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced at the same time on the NASCAR circuit, and Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. played on the same team together, making MLB history in 1990.
“As soon as [Bronny and LeBron] get [to the NBA], I’m taking my father to the game,” Griffey Jr. said on “The Pivot” podcast. “The first father-son gone visit that one.”
For Damien Wilkins, although he might not have felt the same amount of pressure Bronny currently feels, he’s carried a career-long expectation. His father, Gerald Wilkins, played for the New York Knicks and his uncle, Dominique Wilkins, is largely thought of as one of the best basketball players of his time and the best player in Atlanta pro basketball history.
Damien went to the same college as his uncle, UGA, and still played 10 seasons in the NBA for the Seattle Sonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers. Now, he’s the general manager for Overtime Elite, the prep basketball league responsible for producing some of the league’s recent top NBA Draft prospects including Alex Sarr, who could be this year’s No. 1 pick.
Recently, while speaking about the success of OTE prospects, rolling out asked Wilkins about living up to his family name.
Since you’re a basketball legacy too, what advice do you have for Bronny James?
I would tell Bronny the same thing I tell my son: Be you. That last name is not going to change. It didn’t change for me, it’s not going to change for my son and it’s not going to change for Bronny. It’s always going to be there. I’m sure he knows that’s always going to follow him. It’s a gift and a curse.
LeBron James is your dad. People are going to expect him to be LeBron and he’s not going to be LeBron, he can only be Bronny. I think he’s handled himself tremendously well given all the pressure he may feel in the public. Grown men on social media are arguing over this kid talking about how he’s not ready, if his name was different than James, they wouldn’t even be discussing it.
How long did it take for you to find your own course and not focus on your last name during your career?
Probably my second year in the NBA.
It took me a while. You guys know ‘Nique. He was like, “Run from the name for what?”
It took me a while to understand I needed to be myself. Ironically, coach Nate McMillan mentored me and told me what I needed to do. I needed someone to tell me I need to do this. That helped me carve out my own lane, where I didn’t have to subconsciously try to be my dad or uncle.
I used to try to change my number from 21 to 12, 8, 9, 0, all of these things to get away from it because in every gym I walked into, people expect me to be someone that I’ll never be. When you’re not that version of who they want you to be, it gets difficult to play the game and believe in yourself.
