The pressure is on for Bronny James after being introduced by the Lakers

As Bronny James was introduced by the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, the elephant in the room was present in corporeal form. 

LeBron James stood behind reporters, wearing a black hoodie, taking in the moment. 

Proud father. Teammate. Historical. Those were the words that came to mind. 

But along with them, came others. Crushing pressure. Nepotism. 

Both Bronny and the Lakers tried to address the latter ones, which are narratives that are going to plague the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft as he tries to prove himself while sharing the court with one of the greatest players of all-time, who also happens to be his dad. 

"For sure, amplified amount of pressure," Bronny told reporters. "I've already seen it on social media and stuff, and the Internet and stuff and talking about that I might not deserve an opportunity. But I've been dealing with stuff like this my whole life. So it's nothing different. But it's more amplified, for sure. But I'll get through it."

When the Lakers selected Bronny last month, they made history with the first active father-son pairing in the league. But they also opened a can of worms.

Bronny not only has to establish himself as worthy, but he has to do it under his father's shadow, a shadow so big and powerful that it envelops the entire NBA, with James long considered the unequivocal face of the league.

It's a tall task for a 19-year-old, especially one who is still trying to find his game after suffering a cardiac arrest at a USC practice last July that landed him in the ICU. 

Bronny made a notable comeback and went on to average 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 games for the Trojans. But he mostly came off the bench and many scouts didn't deem him NBA ready. 

He changed some