NBA Insider says this isn’t the first time this has happened in the league.
Months of speculation about which team would select LeBron James Jr. in the 2024 NBA Draft ended on Thursday when none other than the Los Angeles Lakers—the team Bronny’s father, LeBron James, plays for—picked him with the 55th pick.
Bronny’s selection was a moment of both celebration and controversy. While some hailed the historic father-son duo’s playing together, others raised the issue of nepotism, suggesting that his famous father’s influence within the Lakers organization was the primary reason for his draft pick.
However, longtime NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski disputed these charges, saying these things have been happening in the league for a long time.
League is full of nepotism
According to Woj, who knows the league’s dynamics like the back of his hand, nepotism is a common practice in the NBA. However, it’s being discussed more these days because it involves one of the most decorated players in league history.
“I don’t want to hear these charges of people talking about nepotism,” Woj asserted.
“The NBA is full of nepotism—at the ownership level, front offices, and absolutely in coaching. I don’t want to hear it all of a sudden because Bronny James’ father plays for the Lakers. It is rampant in this league,” the respected journalist added.
The 19-year-old was one of the most scrutinized amateur basketball players in the country, and the fire underneath him figures to become hotter with every shot critics and fellow NBA players take at him.
After all, the 6’1″ guard did little in his one season at USC, where he averaged a pedestrian 4.8 points per game. More to it, Bronny struggled to find his shot, making only 19 percent of his catch-and-shoot opportunities with the Trojans. While James Jr. had his moments at the NBA Draft Combine, many scouts remained unconvinced and unimpressed, predicting his game wouldn’t translate well to the next level.
Steered to the Lakers?
Amidst the endless debates about Bronny’s potential teams, a revelation from former agent turned NBA broadcaster Bob Myers added a new twist. Myers indicated that Bronny’s agent, Rich Paul, was actively steering teams away from drafting him, suggesting that he had a plan in place.
“Rich Paul is calling teams, don’t take Bronny James. He’s telling them do not take him. If you take him, he’s going to Australia. So he has a plan, he has a place,” Myers said.
That place turned out to be the Lakers. With the NBA Draft over, the hardest part of Bronny’s young career begins: proving he belongs in the big league.