There will be history made on the Los Angeles Lakers this season after they drafted Bronny James in the second round to team up with his dad LeBron James.
Whenever they take the floor together in purple and gold, it will mark the first time in NBA history that a father and son have not only shared the court together, but also as teammates.
But when that happens, one thing that fans won’t see if Bronny referring to LeBron as ‘Dad.’ LeBron recently made it clear that Bronny can call him that outside of work, but not when they are in the gym.
One person who understands this dynamic is Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who worked under her dad Dr. Jerry Buss for years. She also referred to Dr. Buss by his name while at work and is excited to see Bronny and LeBron team up on the Lakers, via Chuck Schilken of the L.A. Times:
“You know, I never had that conversation with LeBron or Bronny, but in business situations, I addressed my father as Dr. Buss. I wanted to keep that boundary clear because that helped us out — we weren’t bringing work home to the dinner table. So I think LeBron and Bronny are very prepared for this. And I’m excited just for them to have this opportunity. But Bronny is a good player. I’m excited to see what our new coach, JJ Redick, has in store. It’s definitely gonna be an interesting season for sure. I mean, LeBron, the way he played at the Olympics? He might be the greatest of all time.”
Rich Paul recently indicated that Buss made the decision to draft Bronny, so she is clearly on board with the extra attention that will bring the organization.
Buss is a fan of Bronny’s work ethic, which he got from his dad as LeBron remains one of the best players in the league heading into his 22nd NBA season.
Jeanie Buss discusses how Lakers can silence critics
The Lakers didn’t make any roster moves this offseason other than drafting Bronny James and Dalton Knecht, which has led to a lot of criticism when it comes to their championship hopes. When discussing how the Lakers can silence those critics, Jeanie Buss had an easy answer.
“Really, you gotta play basketball and win games. I know the criticism out there. I know social media is rough waters for everybody. There’s always controversy being stirred up on social media. That’s why it doesn’t really serve me to hype everything up. It’s just, you gotta do the work. And that’s how our organization operates. We do the work. We worry about what we can control and let the work speak for itself.”
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