On June 27 of this year, LeBron James Jr.–otherwise known as “Bronny” by fans and family, and for the sake of ease, this article – was the 55th chosen in the second round of the NBA draft. This became the first time in NBA history for a player to be drafted while their senior was still in the game.
Fans and news quickly lapped up the idea; however, some are left to wonder, has the beloved sport become a nepotism cash grab?
Lebron James created a name for himself for his scoring record, overall speed and strength, and as of late his longevity in the game while still performing at a high level. While some may not consider him the greatest of all time, James Sr. is definitely a name looked up to in the world of basketball. For the past six years of his 21 year career, James has played for the L.A. Lakers, while also playing for the U.S.A Olympic basketball team in ‘04, ‘08, ‘12, and 2024, to note a few. Now a free agent after years of competing, James Sr. has decided to stay with Lakers alongside his son.
Jack Shackelford, a freshman business major at Union University and plays on Union’s men’s basketball team as a forward–while not a fan of Bronny, but a fan of the sport–has had plenty of conversation with his teammates. Some find it “awesome”, while others see it as an offense to talent and hard work.
“There are millions of guys who would die for that chance,” Shackelford said. “But, because their dads aren’t LeBron they aren’t given the chance.”
Shackelford has been playing since he first picked up a ball at five-years-old, and has played competitively for six years now. While right now plans are in the air about his basketball future, Shackelford finds the 55th draft pick discouraging for many wanting to go pro.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Bronny has been on the court since before he could toddle, however, whether his talents or his name got him into the NBA is up for debate. After the draft, many are leaning towards the latter.
“He started too early,” Shackleford said. “If he had taken the time, practiced more, recovered and got better, he might have been able to make it big in the NBA.”
Last July, Bronny collapsed on the court and was in the hospital for three days for what was later said to be cardiac arrest due to a congenital heart defect.
After medical clearance on May 27, Bronny was entered into the 2024 draft and invited to multiple workouts from various teams. Bronny only visited and participated with two – the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. While visiting and participating in a team does not secure a spot on the team, it does seem pretentious and a little cocky to only visit two, one being your dad’s team.
On Oct 22, Bronny debuted on the court alongside his father with a rebound after three minutes of gameplay, later making his first NBA basket during their next game on Oct 30 along with assists and a steal.
The father-son duo was electric for fans, but like any other lightning strike, faded just as fast as it appeared. On Nov 7, Bronny was assigned to the Lakers G League team, the South Bay Lakers – in other words, minor league basketball.
The belief is that Bronny will only be played at home games and will not be traveling with the rest of his team, essentially using his name to fill home seats. Acknowledging the nepotism, but arguing that this development will only stunt Bronny’s growth as a player–though stats show he was not all that even before the draft–many Laker’s fans are unhappy.
“See, my dad’s a pastor,” Shackelford said, “but that doesn’t automatically make me a believer. Just because LeBron was arguably an NBA legend, doesn’t mean Bronny will.”
While he admits that it must be cool to play alongside your own dad, Shackelford sees Bronny’s entrance into the NBA as a networking, know-the-right-people, gig. When asked his thoughts and if this would change the future of the NBA, he was quick to deny this claim, believing the situation to be unique.
“I don’t think that this is something that should, or will happen again,” Shackelford said. “I think that LeBron is in the right place and has enough power as a player to pull some strings.”
Shackelford thinks that Bronny does want to play basketball on a pro level, however, he doubts that it will last after James Sr.’s retirement from the league. While we hope this is not the case for the young athlete, only the future will tell.