Bronny James was selected 55th overall in the NBA Draft a few weeks ago by his father’s team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Pre-draft scouts were not kind to Bronny, with at least one calling him “not a good NBA prospect” after he scored fewer than five points per game in his only season at USC. Bronny’s cardiac arrest last summer made things worse.
On one hand, they will make history when they step on the court together for the first time: LeBron and Bronny will become the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time.
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Bronny James Jr. of the Los Angeles Lakers plays against the Sacramento Kings during the first half of the 2024 California Classic Summer League at Chase Center on July 6, 2024 in San Francisco. (Tearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
There has been much talk about nepotism, with former NBA veterans calling it an “abuse of power” by the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, especially considering Bronny was guaranteed nearly $8 million on his four-year contract.
“For those who don’t know, late second round picks are not guaranteed (especially before Summer League),” Stephen Hunter wrote on social media. Via OutKick.
“Typically, a player picked late in the second round doesn’t even get a guaranteed four-year roster spot contract. This wasn’t earned. Sorry… and this is a terrible abuse of power by LBJ.” [LeBron James] & Rich Paul. It’s an insult to all the young guys who work hard to get into the league. This kind of shady Hollywood behavior is what makes me hate LeBron…
Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James (L) yells at his son, USC Trojans player Bronny James (6), during a game against the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion on Feb. 7, 2024 in Berkeley, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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“This is another example of what they say when you try to like them. This is why most people [Michael Jordan] Or Kobe [Bryant] At least MJ or Kobe would be honest so they are better than him… Trust me, if MJ had chosen to abuse his power he could have put one of his sons in the league…
“I’m not blaming Bronny or being mad at him, but I just want you to know that this is a manipulation of our league and the honesty we really need to get there.”
Bronny was invited to at least 10 pre-draft workouts but only attended two, with the Lakers and Suns. Paul said that was “as planned.”
Bronny James and Bryce James present LeBron James with the award for Best Record-Breaking Performance onstage during the 2023 ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre on July 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
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James scored four points on 2-of-9 shooting in his NBA Summer League debut.
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