LeBron James received a lot of criticism when the Lakers selected his son, Bronny, with the 55th overall pick in the NBA Draft, but one former player isn’t just accusing him of nepotism — he’s calling the selection an “abuse of power” indeed.
Stephen Hunter, a veteran who played in the NBA from 2002-2010, took to social media to accuse basketball giant LeBron James of “abuse of power” not only for the Lakers selecting Hunter’s son with the 55th overall pick in the draft (a position that many felt was undeserved), but also for giving him a contract worth far more than most second-round NBA draft picks make.
“For those of you who don’t know… late second round picks are not guaranteed (especially before Summer League),” Hunter said. I have written.
“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 trying so hard to get into the league. These dirty Hollywood ploys are the reason so many people hate LeBron.
“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 are better than him because they are honest…trust me, if MJ had chosen to abuse his power he could have sent one of his sons into the league.
“I’m not blaming Bronny, I’m not mad at Bronny… I just want you to know that this is a manipulation of our league and the honesty we really need to get there.”
NBA scouts who spoke to the media were not kind in their pre-draft analysis of Bronny James, with one scout rating James as “not a NBA prospect” and another questioning his athleticism.
Bronny James has done nothing to negate these assessments in two games in the NBA Summer League. To date, he has scored a total of seven points in 50 minutes of basketball.
There is also the harrowing video of young James being burned.
Great play 😮💨
Alondes Williams shows off silky spin and a deft finish high off the glass!
California Classic on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/PtB1otoyWt
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2024
Still, it’s early and Bronny James can get better, but for now, things aren’t looking good.
