Bronny James is getting buried on social media over his less-than-stellar Summer League performances to kick off his Lakers career ... but he's got at least one BIG supporter standing firm in his corner -- Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.
It's no secret -- LeBron James' eldest boy isn't necessarily taking the Association by storm after going No. 55 overall to the Purple and Gold last month ... averaging just 4.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals in four appearances -- not to mention going 0-15 from three-point range.
While those kinds of numbers won't garner a ton of praise, it seems some haters are going extra hard on the 19-year-old hooper due to his famous pops and claims of "nepotism."
But the Big Aristotle ain't ready to give up on Bronny just yet ... giving the youngin' some sound advice while out in NYC this week.
"Keep playing hard, Bronny," Shaq said on Wednesday. "Uncle Shaq loves you."
Of course, the Lakers legend probably knows a thing or two about the pressure Bronny's facing right now ... as his own son, Shareef, also followed in his footsteps and pursued pro basketball.
Shaq's clearly pulling for Bronny ... and he'll have plenty more opportunities to redeem himself in future outings -- especially since he inked a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the Lakers -- so he's not going anywhere.