Day 2 of the NBA Draft featured a much-anticipated buzz surrounding whether the Los Angeles Lakers were going to select Bronny James, the oldest son of LeBron James, at No. 55.
Before his selection, there was conversation surrounding whether taking Bronny would be good for him as a young player, being in the Lakers organization with his dad where the eyeballs will always be on him. L.A. is no stranger to storylines and media coverage, but the 19-year-old needs to develop and build upon his game to become a valuable rotation player.
However, with LeBron having a pending free agency depending on his decision surrounding his player option, this could be a cherry on top of the cake to keep him around. With no father and son having played together on the same team, general manager Rob Pelinka thought it would create a magical pairing by drafting Bronny, via Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet:
“In the history of the NBA, there has never been a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court,” shared Pelinka. “That feels like something that could be magical. We know and have to respect of course that LeBron has a decision about his opt out … Of course he has freedom to decide whatever is best for him and his family. But if it worked out that he was on our team next season, NBA history could be made.”
The early expectation is that Bronny will not be seeing a ton of minutes during the regular season, which could be a good thing. Allowing him to get reps with the South Bay Lakers and building that confidence is something young prospects could use to give them a sense of belonging.
Nonetheless, there is going to be a microscope on the former USC Trojan at each step of his career, analyzing every game he plays. Seeing how LeBron handles pressure and media attention, one can assume Bronny will be focused on basketball and nothing else.
Adrian Wojnarowkski & Stephen A. Smith call out nepotism criticism aimed at Bronny & LeBron James
Prior to and after Bronny’s selection, there were references to nepotism as Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul forced teams besides the Lakers to not select him. While it may not be the right thing to do, nepotism exists in every major sport and has for years.
This is something that ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Stephen A. Smith called out when criticisms were thrown towards the James’ on how things ultimately panned out.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
