When the kid of a well-known athlete begins to take his parent’s sport seriously, the stress is on, pretty or not.
That occurred to Ryan Blaney when he was simply a youngster since his father, Dave Blaney, drove in 473 races throughout a 17-year NASCAR profession.
Ryan has since lived as much as nearly all of the hype, successful the Cup Sequence final 12 months and ceaselessly etching his identify within the historical past books.
However that does not change the actual fact consideration has been on him for a while.
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Ryan Blaney sympathizes with the stress on Bronny James. (Getty Pictures)
“I really feel like if you’re a child in a sport that your mother and father did, that child’s anticipated to do this sport,” Blaney instructed Fox Information Digital in a current interview.
Blaney, although, mentioned the stress by no means got here “internally.”
“My dad by no means pressured me to do something. If I needed to do one thing else, he would’ve been completely supportive of that too. But it surely simply labored out to the place I loved doing it. I had his full assist. He taught me plenty of issues I do know,” Ryan mentioned.
“I strive not to consider it as stress, but it surely got here extra from the skin. The media and the opposite individuals watching, they’ve excessive expectations of you. It was onerous to dam that out, particularly if you’re 18 years previous, attempting to place your identify on the market and attempting to get a strong job.
“However I really feel like dad all the time did an excellent job of conserving me away from that stress, the excessive expectations, and simply remind me to only take pleasure in what you take pleasure in doing. That’s form of how I have a look at it.”
Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford, waves to followers throughout driver intros previous to the NASCAR Cup Sequence Championship at Phoenix Raceway Nov. 5, 2023, in Avondale, Ariz. (James Gilbert/Getty Pictures)
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Ryan can sympathize with athletes who’ve celebrity dads, Bronny James specifically.
“He has extra stress on him than I ever did,” Blaney mentioned. “I imply, being LeBron James’ child, one of many best basketball gamers ever to do it, that’s a ton of stress. That’s, like, one other degree.
“I feel these children — I’m 30 now — I see these 18-year-old children with excessive expectations which might be simply thrust on their shoulders. Everybody desires them to be excellent. They’re children. Don’t anticipate an excessive amount of of them. Simply allow them to do their factor. Allow them to develop, be who they need to be. And their work ethic has gotta be actually nice, too. I can relate to them slightly bit.”
Bronny was a McDonald’s All-American his senior 12 months of highschool, however the hypothesis is that was all for present, given who he and his father are.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, left, shouts to his son, Bronny James of the USC Trojans, throughout Bronny’s sport towards the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion Feb. 7, 2024, in Berkeley, Calif. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Pictures)
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James averaged lower than 5 factors per sport in his freshman season with USC after a cardiac arrest over the summer time. He has since declared for the NBA Draft however can decide out. He additionally entered the NCAA switch portal.
Regardless of his father being within the GOAT dialog, scouts have since mentioned Bronny is “not an NBA prospect.”
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