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Bronny James Was Considered by Multiple NBA Teams, but Dad LeBron's Fame Influenced Decisions: Reports Suggest
Bronny James is under scrutiny after announcing his name for the 2024 NBA Draft and that scrutiny has gone to the next level after he was picked in the draft by LA Lakers.
According to Heavy's Steve Bulpett, teams that were selected ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft expressed interest in Bronny James.
Ever since Bronny James announced his name for the draft, he has faced scrutiny and criticism. People believe that the only reason Bronny was picked up in the draft was because of LeBron James, who is an NBA legend and the top scorer in NBA history.
What did Steve Bulpett write?
According to Bulpett, an NBA executive said, "I do know there were teams that talked about taking him earlier, but there's a whole lot of attention that comes with having LeBron's son on your team, and, if you're not the Lakers, do you want to deal with that for a second round pick?
The executive further added, "Is it going to be worth it? And that's not even taking into account the stuff about him not being willing to go to any team but (the Lakers)."
Bronny was the 55th pick in the draft
In the end, James was selected by the Lakers with the 55th pick, but not without some controversy. According to ESPN's Bob Myers, during the second round of the draft, James' agent, Rich Paul, threatened to have James sent to play in Australia if he was selected by a team other than the Lakers, so teams were advised not to select him.
It's unclear if teams passed on James because of the threat of his leaving for Australia, but it's possible that it had an impact on the negotiations. Even after being picked by the Lakers, Bronny is expected to play most of his basketball in the G-League this season, if the reports are to be believed.
James’ summer league performances
James will now try to turn the focus of attention from the draft to his on-court performance. With a few games remaining, the son of the NBA legend can still make a lot of progress in his first NBA Summer League with the Lakers.
James managed to score eight points on Friday against the Houston Rockets, adding five rebounds and two steals, after scoring just seven points in his previous two games. When the Lakers play the Boston Celtics on Monday in Las Vegas, he will be back in action. Bronny will be looking to prove a point to his critics, as they keep their eyes fully glued to his performances.
ALSO READ: Dwyane Wade Reacts to Bronny James' LA Lakers Photoshoot; DETAILS Inside
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