"He doesn't mean that in malice" - Rich Paul shrugs off Jaylen Brown apparently dissing Bronny James' NBA potential
Jaylen Brown has been under fire since a video circulated of him expressing his opinion of Bronny James on Monday. In the viral clip, the Boston Celtics star talks to his girlfriend, WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, on the sidelines of the Las Vegas Summer League.
"I don't think Bronny is a pro," Brown apparently said.
Despite the apparent insult to Bronny’s potential, James's agent, Rich Paul, who is also the agent of his father, LeBron James, does not seem bothered by the opinions surrounding the 19-year-old up-and-comer.
On "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday, Paul downplayed the situation while reaffirming his support for Bronny.
"They have opinions," Paul said. "They can say what they want to say. ... If he has an opinion, he can have an opinion. But I know Jaylen Brown, and I know he doesn’t mean that with any malice. He’s just having a conversation. It’s just the world that we live in today. Why would he think someone’s videoing him saying anything?”
Paul also defended Bronny and acknowledged his current difficulties. He also thinks that it would fuel Bronny to be a better professional player in the long run.
“The NBA is a roller coaster, and Bronny is gonna put the work in and keep getting better. ... They don't run the credits at the beginning of the movie; they run it at the end," Paul said.
In Bronny James’ four summer league games (two in the California Classic), he's averaging 4.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 7-for-31 (22.6%), including a lackluster 0-for-15 from 3-point range.
In the Lakers’ 88-74 loss to the Boston Celtics, with Brown in attendance, James airballed two 3-point shots. He finished with two points, three rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes in front of Lakers teammates Austin Reaves and Christian Wood and new coach JJ Redick.
Jaylen Brown clarifies viral video of conversation about Bronny James
Jaylen Brown, who sat alongside Kyre Gondrezick and WNBA rookie Angel Reese, was supporting the Celtics at the NBA Summer League but came out of the game with more controversies than when he entered.
Shortly after the game, Brown expressed his belief in Bronny James’s potential on X/Twitter.
"It’s a flex to have your son alongside you in the nba it reflects greatness and longevity !Bronny has all the tools around him to be successful I look forward to watching his growth," Brown tweeted.
Brown’s viral incident was one of the first controversies made off Bronny’s NBA career so far. Bronny, who was drafted at No. 55 last month, is expected to play alongside LeBron James this season to become the NBA's first father-son duo.