"We went from Shaq & Kobe to Bronny James" - Aries Spears dubs Lakers a 'joke' after LeBron James' potential nepotism move
The LA Lakers have received criticism this offseason. In an interview with VladTV, a channel dedicated to celebrity interviews and news, comedian Aries Spears sounded off on the Lakers and their pick of Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft.
Spears pointed out the downturn in the presence of legends in Los Angeles. He named several Hall of Famers who he believes have had a more powerful impact on the franchise than James.
"We went from Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaq, Kareem, Kobe, Worthy, to now Bronny James, to the nepotism. Come on man. The lakers are a joke," Spears said. (1:50)
He went on to rip apart most of the big decisions that have been made since the Lakers turned to LeBron James in 2018. They won a championship in the "bubble" in 2020, but Spears denounced it along with most of the roster changes they made each offseason.
He specifically called out the signings of former all-stars including Russell Westbrook, Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, Carmelo Anthony and Rajon Rondo, calling them all "geezers."
"It just feels like during the LeBron era, so many bad decisions have been made," he said.
"So many things that wouldn't have been done, if Jerry Buss was alive. From his sons trying to run the team ... to LeBron having all this control ... to that one year they got all the geezers to form like Voltron, where there was just a bunch of old, used to be good players when they were in their prime. (0:50)
Both Spears and the interview host begin a small chant — "They not like Buss!" — to the tune of Kendrick Lamar's diss track against Drake titled "They Not Like Us!"
Spears added another jab towards fan, saying they deserve the frustrating LeBron James era.
"I know the Laker nation isn't happy with this, but they deserve whatever they got. They are the Dallas Cowboys of the NBA. (0:30)
LA Lakers summer league player denies unsavory Bronny James rumors
Following the media circus that surrounded the LA Lakers' summer league season, reports emerged that at least one player was frustrated with the focus on Bronny James throughout the tournament.
However, a fellow teammate of Bronny's has spoken out against that report, saying he was just treated as a normal guy like the rest of the players.
“No. Where is that at? Honestly, you know how it is. Stuff like that doesn’t really shock me,” guard Blake Hinson said. “But we need to figure out if that’s even true because to be totally honest with you, as far as his treatment, he was just a normal guy."
The comment came from Blake Hinson, who shot the ball well for the Lakers this offseason. He also remarked that Bronny is "a cool dude" and repeated that there was no negative impact on the team caused by his presence.