The Los Angeles Lakers made everyone in the sports world care about the back end of the second round of the NBA Draft. Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, was heavily rumored to go to his father’s team. However, the pick had to actually be made. They ended up taking the young James with the 55th overall pick, and it has been quite the topic of discussion. On Tuesday, there was a press conference to announce the draft picks. New head coach JJ Redick was adamant that the young player had “earned” a spot on the team.
Los Angeles Lakers Bronny James
People have been screaming about nepotism for the last four days. Bronny James did not have a great season with the USC Trojans. He only averaged 4.8 points on 36.6% shooting (26.7% from 3), 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. However, he had a heart issue that kept him out for a while, and the team underperformed as well. Still, many fans and analysts thought the only reason he got drafted was because of his dad. Head coach JJ Redick was having none of that talk.
“Rob and I did not give Bronny anything. Bronny has earned this. … Bronny has earned this through hard work.”
The Los Angeles Lakers are trying very hard to dispel the narrative that Bronny James was only picked because of who his dad is. They are adamant that they liked what they saw in the pre-draft workouts and interviews. This narrative is a little hard to believe when reports on draft day were that James’ agent was calling teams and telling them not to draft him. However, we do have to acknowledge Bronny has done some work to prepare himself for the NBA.
Is This A Big Deal?
Maybe I’m in the minority here but I don’t think the whole Bronny James to the Los Angeles Lakers story is that big of a deal. It is history that I understand. We’ve never had a father-son duo play on the court together. However, the nepotism aspect doesn’t bother me as much. In my ten years of being in the working world, people have told me, “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.” People get jobs every day because they are related to or know the right people. Granted, this is on a larger scale, but people seem really upset about something that happens all the time.
The Los Angeles Lakers will be under a lot of pressure, as will Bronny James. There will be no shortage of critics if he flops as a player. However, cheering for someone to fail feels wrong. Hopefully, he becomes a quality NBA player, and the father-son duo goes out and wins a championship.
For More Great Content
Total Apex is an all-encompassing content producer. We provide heavily detailed articles every day on entertainment, gaming, sports, and so much more! Check out all our great sports content at Total Apex Sports. Check us out on X @TotalApexEandG and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
