"Done to placate LeBron's ego" - Jason Whitlock claims Lakers are doing 'disservice' to Bronny James at LeBron James' expense
LeBron James and the LA Lakers got what they wanted in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft – Bronny James. The Lakers selected Bronny with the 55th overall pick on Thursday in Night 2 of the draft. However, sports columnist Jason Whitlock claimed the Lakers are not doing Bronny any favors by stroking his father's ego.
In a post on his official X account, Whitlock reacted to LeBron and Bronny becoming the first father-son duo in NBA history to be teammates. He hinted at nepotism being involved while also pointing out that the only reason it happened was to make "The King" happy.
"A child born sliding into home plate still required help from his dad scoring a run. This is a longterm disservice to Bronny, all done to placate LeBron's ego. Two people are laughing the loudest: Michael Jordan and LaVar Ball," Whitlock wrote.
It has long been rumored that the LA Lakers were interested in drafting Bronny James as a way to convince his father LeBron James to re-sign with the franchise. James is expected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent although the two sides are reportedly discussing a three-year, $162 million deal.
Bronny had limited playing time at USC during his freshman season, averaging just 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. He still entered the draft and was hoping to get selected in the second round. He was linked to several teams and even worked out for the Phoenix Suns.
However, the expectations heading into the draft was the Lakers were going get him and help LeBron's dream of becoming the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game. Some scouts didn't like what they saw from Bronny, while others loved his motor and defensive potential.
Adrian Wojnarowski defends Bronny James from nepotism claims
While many basketball fans are happy with LeBron James being able to play with his son Bronny, others are calling out the LA Lakers superstar for nepotism. However, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski is having none of it and defended the NBA's father-son duo.
"I don't want to hear the charges, people talking about nepotism. The NBA is full of nepotism. The ownership level, front offices, coaching. I don't want to hear about it all of a sudden because Bronny James' father plays for the Lakers. It is rampant in this league," Wojnarowski said.
Nepotism is indeed rampant in the NBA from front offices to coaching. But it's different when it comes to players since teams are generally very ruthless when it comes to roster spot selections.