L.A. Lakers do right by LeBron James, drafting his son Bronny, which costs them nothing
OPINION: It’s not like 55th picks make or break an NBA team’s fortunes. Players who are taken that late do well to make the roster and ride the bench.
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
LeBron James must really be the greatest of all time. He’s the only NBA player in history who persuaded his team to sign his son so they can hoop together.
Take that, Michael Jordan.
I still have MJ as the GOAT. But I can’t help marveling at LeBron’s remarkable journey, which now overlaps with his oldest son’s path. Bronny James became the most famous second-round pick ever when the Los Angeles Lakers selected him 55th overall in Thursday’s draft.
Let’s agree on a few things right away. First, the Lakers wouldn’t have selected Bronny if his father wasn’t the league’s all-time scoring leader. Second, no other NBA team was going to take him (only three more picks remained). Third, the Lakers were in a difficult position and faced potential downside either way.
Folks who think the Lakers are stupid surely disagree, but this is a sweet moment, no matter what happens next. Strip away the various business interests in sports, media and entertainment, and peek under the family’s fame, bank accounts and cultural influence. It all boils down to a simple father-son story of human interest.
What’s not to love about that?
I understand the Lakers’ move at the emotional level of human interaction. They rightly decided that the heart tugs were sufficient reason to throw a bone and fulfill LeBron’s dream. It’s not like 55th picks make or break a team’s fortunes. Players taken that late do well to make the roster and ride the bench. Teams take fliers at that point and hope to get lucky, but expectations for the fourth-from-last baller drafted are low.
Bronny wasn’t the 55th-best NBA prospect in most eyes, opening the Lakers to criticism that they wasted the pick to please LeBron. But leaving the younger James on the board would’ve pissed off LeBron, who can depart via free agency next week. Many folks are convinced that LeBron runs the organization, so it’s no big deal if the number grows. That’s a small price to pay for retaining King James’ services.
“There’s never been a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court and that feels like something that could be magical,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said. “We know, and have to respect of course, that LeBron has a decision on his opt-out … but if it worked out that he was on our team next season, NBA history could be made. And NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform.”
This is a Hollywood story, for sure. We just don’t know which genre.
It could be anything from pure horror to uproarious comedy, with Pelinka and first-year head coach J.J. Reddick vying for the best supporting actor award. It might not be a thriller but it’ll be dramatic AF, chronicling the face of the league in his 22nd season while his teenage son tags along.
News flash: Bronny has privileges that players of comparable size and skill don’t enjoy. Favor ain’t fair. He didn’t ask for it, and he doesn’t have to act like it’s nonexistent. Children who follow their parents in any field can have a leg up on peers and the NBA is no exception.
“I don’t want to hear these charges, people talking about nepotism,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said. “The NBA is full of nepotism. The ownership level, front offices, 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.”
We don’t know how much Bronny’s development was set back by a cardiac arrest in July 2023, prior to his freshman year at USC. He was considered a better NBA prospect in high school but his stock dropped during his lone year in college, which was delayed by treatment for a congenital heart defect. He came off the bench in 19 of his 25 games and posted meager numbers.
Being on the Lakers with his dad could be the best or worst outcome, perhaps both simultaneously. Call it a push, and he’s in the league, regardless.
“I just want to have people know my name is Bronny James and not be identified as just LeBron James’ son,” Bronny said in May at the NBA Combine. “I feel like that would be a great angle. Everything that follows my dad, people just try to link me with that and all the greatness that he’s achieved. I haven’t done anything yet, so I feel like there needs to be that divide between Bronny and LeBron.”
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Good luck dividing them now. Only the length of the bench separates them, with Bronny on the end.
LeBron’s tutelage could be Bronny’s best shot at maxing out as an NBA player. I’m curious whether agent Rich Paul keeps his predraft pledge to decline a two-way contract for Bronny. Such a deal seems perfect for development; Bronny would be paid the same whether in the NBA or G League and he could play in up to 50 NBA games. Paul might’ve made the vow to scare away would-be suitors, like he reportedly warned them Bronny would play in Australia if drafted by any team except the Lakers.
I’d understand if neither LeBron nor Bronny desired this experience. But I also understand why they consider it the ultimate scenario for their father-son relationship. At its core, this is a heartwarming moment for the James family and a gracious move by the Lakers with no long-term repercussions.
Congratulations is the most appropriate response. And wow.
Deron Snyder, from Brooklyn, is an award-winning columnist who lives near D.C. and pledged Alpha at HU-You Know! He’s reaching high, lying low, moving on, pushing off, keeping up, and throwing down. Got it? Get more at blackdoorventures.com/deron.
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