The Los Angeles Lakers selecting LeBron James‘ eldest son, Bronny, with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft has been one of the biggest news around the league this offseason.
This decision continues to give plenty to talk about as the new season draws nearer, and while many are excited to see the first father-son duo in NBA history, others see this as an act of ‘nepotism’ and aren’t happy about it.
Comedian Aries Spears, for instance, called out the Lakers for drafting Bronny, suggesting it’s a shame for such a storied franchise to make a move like this to please LeBron.
“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 told VladTV, via Sporskeeda.
Bronny James Jr. #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Houston Rockets in the second half of a 2024 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Rockets defeated the Lakers 99-80.
Spears claim Lakers have mostly made bad decisions since landing LeBron
Spears went even further on his criticism of the Lakers, claiming the franchise has constantly made terrible decisions since James joined the team in 2018, especially when building the roster every year.
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“It just feels like during the LeBron era, so many bad decisions have been made,” Spears 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.
“I know the Laker nation isn’t happy with this, but they deserve whatever they got. They are the Dallas Cowboys of the NBA.”
Bronny not expected to play so much with LeBron this season
Even though fans can’t wait to see LeBron and Bronny playing together, the 19-year-old is expected to spend much of the upcoming season with the Lakers G League Affiliate South Bay Lakers.
The eldest son of James will enter the NBA after only one college season with USC Trojans. He’s already made four appearances in the Summer League with the Lakers, averaging 8.8 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 14-40 of his field goals while going 3-19 from beyond the arc and 4-4 from the free throw line.
