“That could ignite a fire”- Paul Pierce reckons Bronny James missing out first round selection was the best thing
As the Boston Celtics selected Baylor Scheierman 30th overall, the first round of the NBA Draft officially ended with Bronny James not getting picked. There remains some optimism for his name to be called in the second round but Celtics legend Paul Pierce highlighted the opportunity in this situation for the young prospect to use it as motivation.
Originally, the son of LeBron James was projected to be a late second-round pick in this year's draft class. After a rocky year at USC, Bronny still wanted to give himself the benefit of the doubt and entered the draft. Be that as it may, he still has a lot of competition in the second round due to how difficult it is for anyone to land in the NBA.
Pierce shared his comments regarding Bronny James in an appearance on FS1's "Undisputed," which was also uploaded on X.
"That could build him up," Pierce said. "That could ignite a fire in him. Not getting picked 17th could probably be the best thing for him. Not getting picked in the first round could probably be the best thing for him. ... Now me, if I didn't get picked first round I'll be in the gym right after the draft."
The former Celtics forward comes from a familiar place for him, considering he got motivated to further improve his craft after being passed on by other teams in the 1998 draft. It's great advice from an NBA Champion who is no stranger to being doubted by the media and the league.
Bronny James had a simple answer for Rich Paul after being asked what he found the most important to him
During an interview in Gilbert Arenas's "Gil's Arena" podcast, Klutch Sports founder Rich Paul shared a brief conversation he had with Bronny James. Ahead of Draft Day, Paul asked him "What's important to you?" and the USC guard had a simple but humble response.
"(58:45) Just for him to be able to fulfill his dream," Paul said. "I sat with him in my office and I said to him, 'Bronny, what's important to you?' You know what he said to me? 'Rich, I just want to hear my name called.' He didn't say, 'I want to go number one.' ... That is perspective. ...I root for that. ... In life, all you want is a starting point. ..."
When it comes to any aspiring player hoping to be selected by an NBA team, nothing comes close to finally hearing one's name called and immediately marching toward the platform.
At this point, Bronny James isn't looking to be selected by top teams in the draft but is focused on being drafted by a team in the first place. To be given a chance is all he needs to prove that he belongs in the big league among some of the most talented and skilled players in the world.