"LeBron did what any father would do" - Baltimore Mayor justifies Bronny James' draft with Cowboys & Lakers nepotism analogy
NBA rookie Bronny James has been a source of debate for weeks now. Ever since the LA Lakers selected the second-generation hooper with their second-round pick of the draft, fans have cried foul, arguing that if Bronny James wasn't the son of LeBron James, teams wouldn't be interested in acquiring him.
The way Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott sees things, LeBron didn't do anything any other father wouldn't. Speaking to Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson this week, Scott used the NFL's Dallas Cowboys as an example of how a parent looking out for their child is nothing new.
The Cowboys are owned by Jerry Jones, who has appointed several of his kids to leadership roles within the franchise. In addition, Scott also pointed out that LA Lakers owner Jeanie Buss ascended to power thanks to her father's ownership of the LA Lakers.
While speaking on the nepotism talk surrounding Bronny James, Scott responded:
“They gotta stop. That man [LeBron James] did what ANY father would do for their son. We’re talking about the 55th pick in the draft, right? We ain’t talking about a first round pick for crying out loud. Let that man and his son do what they do and it’s going to put people in the seats for the Lakers.”
“Jerry Jones and his whole family are the owners and the presidents and the vice presidents of the Dallas Cowboys and nobody says anything. We all love Jeanie Buss but, remember her dad owned the Lakers, right? We gotta stop.”
Looking at the LA Lakers' plan for Bronny James
While Bronny's connection to LeBron James certainly may have given him added recognition prior to the draft, he pointed out that the Lakers didn't use their first-round pick to draft Bronny. As JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka explained following the draft, they believe that Bronny can grow into a strong 3 & D player.
While his numbers at USC didn't jump off the page, his play at the NBA Draft Combine was enough to sway LA. In the shooting drill, for instance, Bronny James shot 19-25, enough to finish second out of all participants.
Given that he was a one-and-done player in college, the Lakers are viewing him as a developmental project. With that in mind, the expectation is that Bronny will play in the NBA Summer League, and receive minutes in preseason, however, his chance to be a key part of the Lakers' rotations won't happen overnight.
As CJ McCollum explained, players who aren't ready to be immediately inserted into rotational minutes are a part of the quote-unquote stay-ready team. Players in this role work behind the scenes to evolve as players while waiting for their chance to receive rotational minutes.
In the meantime, Bronny James is currently preparing for the start of the NBA 2k25 Summer League in Las Vegas later today after playing in two of the Lakers' three California Classic games.