As was expected, the Los Angeles Lakers selecting Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft has brought about a lot of attention. After a less than stellar lone season at USC, there are some who feel that the Lakers drafted Bronny only to appease his father LeBron James.
There is no denying the optics of the situation and it almost surely did play a part in the Lakers selecting Bronny. But that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t worked extremely hard to get where he’s at as well and this is something Lakers coach JJ Redick spoke passionately about during the introductory press conference for Bronny and first-round pick Dalton Knecht.
Redick made it clear that Bronny earned the right to be drafted through the work that he has put in while also having great potential if developed properly.
“With Bronny, I just want to clarify one thing that was just said: Rob and I did not give Bronny anything. Bronny has earned this,” Redick said. “Bronny talks about his hard work. Bronny has earned this through hard work, and for us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny like case study No. 1 because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing.
“There’s a lot to like about his game, and as we sort of build out our player development program holistically, he’s going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player.”
As Redick noted, the foundation of James as a player is promising due to his feel for the game, defensive ability and athleticism. While his numbers at USC weren’t great, he did show signs during the NBA Draft Combine of being far better as a shooter than perhaps originally believed. And drafting someone based on their potential, and not necessarily what they’ve shown on the court, is pretty standard.
For his part, Bronny has handled all of the pressure and criticism incredibly well so far, embracing the pressure that comes with being a member of the Lakers and the son of LeBron. He will likely never silence some doubters, but he will have the opportunity to prove a lot of people wrong and there is no doubt he will put in the work to get the absolute most out of himself.
Bronny James signs four-year guaranteed rookie contract with Lakers
A recent rule change in the newest CBA has allowed for teams to sign second-round draft picks for more than two years. The Lakers took advantage of this rule last year with Maxwell Lewis, and have now done the same with Bronny James this season.
The Lakers signed Bronny to a four-year rookie deal with a team option on that fourth season worth $7.9 million. It is a minimum deal and he is set to earn $1.1 million in his rookie season.
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