LeBron James really must be the better of all time. He is the only NBA player in history to persuade his team to sign his son in order that they could play basketball together.

Well, Michael Jordan.

I still consider MJ the GOAT. But I am unable to help but admire LeBron’s extraordinary journey, which now overlaps with that of his eldest son. Bronny James became the most famous second-round pick in history as the Los Angeles Lakers selected him fifty fifth overall in Thursday’s draft.

Let’s get just a few things straight. First, the Lakers wouldn’t have drafted Bronny if his father hadn’t been the league’s all-time leading scorer. Second, no other NBA team desired to take him (there have been only three more picks left). Third, the Lakers were in a tricky spot and faced potential losses either way.

People who think the Lakers are silly will definitely disagree, however it’s a sweet moment, regardless of what happens next. Strip away the various business interests in sports, media and entertainment and look beneath the family’s fame, bank accounts and cultural clout. It all comes all the way down to an easy father-son story about human interest.

What’s not to like about it?

I understand the Lakers’ move on an emotional level of human interaction. They rightly felt that the tugs at the heartstrings were reason enough to roll the die and make LeBron’s dream come true. It’s not like that fifty fifth pick they either make or break the team’s fortunes. Players chosen this late perform well once they get into the lineup and sit on the bench. At this point, teams are taking lotteries and hoping for luck, but expectations are low for the fourth-to-last basketball player chosen in the draft.

Bronny wasn’t the fifty fifth best NBA prospect in the majority opinion, which left the Lakers open to criticism for wasting the pick to please LeBron. But leaving the younger James on the board would piss off LeBron, who he can leave via free agency next week. Many people consider LeBron is running the organization, so it’s effective if the number increases. It’s a small price to pay to retain the services of King James.

“There’s never been a father and son sharing an NBA basketball court, and I think it’s magical.” – Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka he said“We know and of course we have to respect the fact that LeBron has the decision to resign… but if it turns out he is on our team next season, NBA history could be made. And NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform.”

This is unquestionably a Hollywood story. We just do not know what genre.

It could possibly be anything from pure horror to a raucous comedy as Pelinka and first-year head coach JJ Reddick compete for the best supporting actor award. It is probably not a thriller, but it is going to be dramatic AF, chronicling the face of the league in its twenty second season while his teenage son will accompany him.

News flash: Bronny has privileges that players of comparable size and skill don’t. The favor is unfair. He didn’t ask for it and he doesn’t must act prefer it doesn’t exist. Kids who follow their parents’ lead in any field can have a bonus over their peers, and the NBA isn’t any exception.

“I don’t want to listen to these accusations, people talking about nepotism,” said Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN he said“The NBA is full of nepotism. Ownership, front office, coaching. I don’t want to hear that all of a sudden because Bronny James’ father plays for the Lakers. It’s rampant in this league.”

It’s unclear how much of Bronny’s development was stunted by his cardiac arrest in July 2023, before his freshman 12 months at USC. He was considered a greater NBA prospect in highschool, but his stock fell during his lone 12 months in college, which was delayed by treatment for a congenital heart defect. He got here off the bench and into the game in 19 of 25 games modest numbers.

Being on the Lakers with his father could possibly be the best or the worst final result, perhaps each at the same time. Call it a push and he’s in the league regardless.
“I would like people to know that my name is Bronny James and that I am not simply identified as LeBron James’ son,” Bronny said he said in May at the NBA Combine. “I think that would be a great angle. Everything about my dad, people just try to connect me with it and all the great things he achieved. “I haven’t done anything yet, so I feel like there has to be this divide between Bronny and LeBron.”

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Good luck dividing them now. Only a bench length separates them, with Bronny at the end.

LeBron’s tutelage could also be his best probability to peak as an NBA player. I ponder if agent Rich Paul will keep his pre-draft promise and drop a bilateral agreement for Bronny. This arrangement seems ideal for development; Bronny could be paid the same whether he plays in the NBA or the G League and could be eligible to play in a maximum of fifty NBA games. Paul can have sworn to scare off potential suitors, as he reportedly warned them that Bronny would play in Australia if drafted by any team except the Lakers.

I might understand if neither LeBron nor Bronny wanted this experience. But I also understand why they see this as the ultimate scenario for his or her father-son relationship. In fact, that is an uplifting moment for the James family and a gracious move by the Lakers that has no long-term consequences.

Congratulations is the most appropriate response. And wow.