Over the last year or two, Bronny James has been the subject of a lot of criticism. While that criticism has mainly been directed at his father, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, it has still put him in a difficult situation.

Many have attacked the elder James for, in their eyes, shoving the 20-year-old into the NBA and onto the Lakers when the latter perhaps wasn’t ready. But the younger James started to perform well in the G League last season and followed it up with a solid showing at the Las Vegas summer league, which has provided a tangible reason to hope he will someday become a legitimate big-league rotation player.

The guard and former University of Southern California Trojan said that he has a healthy attitude toward the criticism that he has received.

Via ClutchPoints:

“I think it’s great for me and my mind to just push through the criticism and everything that was thrown my way,” the younger James said at Media Day. “Just to see the growth and skill develop as a player while being scrutinized and stuff like that, I think it’s just good for my head. It’s allowed me to keep going and pushing through.”

The fact that he implied he’s been using criticism as motivation is a good sign as far as his mindset and attitude. Being in the position he’s been in could’ve ruined the confidence of many other men, but that’s not exactly what has transpired for the younger James.

Some are predicting he will crack the Lakers’ regular rotation this season. Whether that happens, this will be a big season for him, and he has a great opportunity to display further growth on and off the court while silencing the critics.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Bronny James says criticism has helped him grow