The Los Angeles Lakers made noise in June by selecting LeBron James‘ eldest son, Bronny, in the 2024 NBA Draft. Team owner Jeanie Buss hadn’t said much about this decision, until now.

Buss made her first public comments about the 19-year-old during an interview with Kids Sports Reporters, showing nothing but praise for Bronny while looking excited to see him play with LeBron.

“He is already one of the hardest-working guys on the team,” Buss said, via Athlon Sports. “He participated in Summer League over the summer, he’s a fellow Trojan — so I like that. I think he is going to work hard and be a big contributor this year. And certainly his dad, thrilled to be his teammate. And I think people are very interested to watch them together on the court.”

While many are happy to see LeBron team up with his son, the move also has also sparked criticism, with many accusing The King and the Lakers of nepotism. Buss, however, doesn’t seem to pay much attention to those comments.

Bronny James Jr. #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Sacramento Kings during the first half of the 2024 California Classic summer league game at Chase Center

The purple and gold used their first selection in this year’s Draft to get Dalton Knecht, but didn’t hesitate to land Bronny with the 55th pick. The USC Trojans product is expected to spent most of the season in the G League, but Lakers fans will likely get the chance to see him play with his father anyway.

Rob Pelinka, JJ Redick also defend Lakers’ decision to draft Bronny James

Buss‘ public support for Bronny is important since we’re talking about the person who runs the organization, but LeBron’s eldest son had already received a warm welcome by Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick.

“Bronny is first and foremost a person of high character,” Pelinka said in June. “And second, he is a young man that works incredibly hard and those are the qualities we look for in drafting players and adding to our developmental core at the Lakers.”

“Rob and I did not give Bronny anything,” Pelinka said. “Bronny has earned this. Bronny talks about his hard work. Bronny has earned this through hard work. For us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as case study one.“

Bronny may already be suffering some unfair comparisons with LeBron, but the young guard still finished the Summer League on a high note, proving his strength is in defense. Time will tell us how he settles in the NBA.