"Transparent dislike and jealousy of LeBron" - Nick Wright scorches Bronny James' naysayers after Lakers draft him with No. 55 pick
NBA analyst Nick Wright is not having any of the Bronny James slander on social media after the LA Lakers drafted him in the second round. LeBron James and his son have a lot of critics following the Lakers' draft decision that got the basketball world talking.
In a post on his official X account, Wright defended the father-son duo from all the hate they have been receiving. The eccentric Fox Sports analyst called the hate jealousy and missing the point of one of the best stories in sports.
"I have found the Bronny James coverage to be so wildly disingenuous & dishonest, that I truly can't believe it. This is one of the coolest sports stories ever & folks are letting their transparent dislike & jealousy of LeBron make them miss that point," Wright wrote.
Some fans have called the LA Lakers decision to draft Bronny James as nepotism although several prominent analysts have defended the 19-year-old guard. They pointed out that the NBA is full of nepotism from ownership, front office and coaching.
Others are not convinced of Bronny's skill to warrant a draft pick, while there are people who just like to say bad about LeBron and his family. Nevertheless, there are defenders of the history made by the Lakers' move with the father-son duo.
LeBron and Bronny are set to become the first father-son duo in NBA history to be in a league at the same time. They have a chance to play in the same game next season as long as the USC product earns the minutes under new head coach JJ Redick.
Another aspect lost in all the hate and drama is Bronny's journey from suffering a cardiac arrest to being drafted into the NBA. It was a tough year for him but finally able to pull through with hard work. He will need to continue showing his work ethic if he wants to earn minutes with the Lakers.
Bronny James to wear No. 9
Bronny James will be wearing the No. 9 jersey for the LA Lakers next season. James will be the 16th player in Lakers franchise history to wear the number. Former players who wore the No. 9 jersey include Nick Van Exel, Rajon Rondo, Matt Barnes and Luol Deng among others.
On the other hand, fellow Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht will wear the No. 4 jersey. Knecht was the 17th overall pick in this year's draft, which surprised a lot of people. Some draft boards had the Tennessee star forward in their Top 10 and the Lakers got lucky to have him since he's a perfect fit for their roster needs.