LeBron James’ agent and longtime friend Rich Paul reportedly called NBA teams before the Lakers selected James’ son, Bronny, in the second round, warning them not to draft him.
So what would Paul do if a team drafted Bronny? He reportedly told the team that if he was drafted, Bronny would play in Australia.
The bizarre threat was reported by former Warriors general manager and current ESPN analyst Bob Myers.
“Rich Paul is calling teams and saying, ‘Don’t draft Bronny James,'” Myers said on ESPN’s NBA Draft show.
“He’s like, ‘Don’t take him. If you take him he’ll be going to Australia. So he has a plan, he has a place to be.’
“Rich Paul calling the team: Don’t take Bronny James… If you take him he’s going to Australia.”
Bob Myers discusses Bronny James’ draft position pic.twitter.com/p6mWNMAjma
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 27, 2024
Myers added, “I think we can all imagine what Rich Paul’s goal is in this situation. There’s a difference between hoping it happens and making sure it happens.”
Well, it worked!
It would have been great for any team to call Rich Paul’s bluff and draft him, but Bronny James was selected 55th overall by the Lakers.
Bronny James did it without handouts or favouritism. Dedication and hard work. pic.twitter.com/sovfW7l55Q
— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) June 27, 2024
Of course, maybe the threat from “Aussie” wasn’t necessary because, as some NBA scouts have said, Bronny James just isn’t good enough to play in the NBA.
Honestly, this is sad.
Bronny James wasn’t even a starter at USC. Now he’s with the Lakers? Why? Because of a father’s dream to play next to his son before he retires. I get it! Who wouldn’t want to play professional sports next to their son if they found themselves in a truly incredible situation?
But is that the right thing to do for Bronny, a relatively limited-skill player who averaged less than five points per game during his very brief tenure at the university and was never good enough to be a starter?
Would it have been better if Bronny had had a few more years to learn and develop at the collegiate level before making this move? Sure, it would have been, but it wasn’t what was best for LeBron, and here we are.
What will Bronny do when Lebron retires in 3 years or less? He will be out of the league and unable to return to the NCAA. Australia actually seems like a very good option at that point!
But it may not be open to him.
Bronny James has always been in his father’s shadow, knowing that without his father’s legendary status and influence he wouldn’t be there, not to mention the extreme dislike many players have for Bronny. There’s no way around it. But there’s a difference between being in someone’s shadow and being consumed and carried away by the shadow.
Bronny James seems like a really good kid. But he deserves the right to stand on his own two feet. LeBron took that away from him. That’s wrong.
