Stephen A. Smith appeared to be in agreement with Adrian Wojnarowski after the analyst claimed that nepotism is nothing new in the NBA - after Bronny James was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers .
The youngster was selected as the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after just one year at alma mater USC, during which he played 25 times - including six starts. During his one and only season with the Trojans, the starlet tallied up an average of 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
The 19-year-old is the son of all-time basketball great LeBron James , one of the most recognizable figures in the sport as a four-time NBA champion and MVP. This will be the first time that a father-son duo could potentially play together on the same team in the history of the league.
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Now, the outspoken commentator Wojnarowski has addressed whether the Lakers' decision was spurred on due to the University of Southern California alumnus' family connections. Taking the viewpoint that nepotism has been widespread in the NBA for some time, his words appeared to gain the approval of Smith as he nodded along during their appearance on ESPN.
Wojnarowski said: "I don’t want to hear the charges, people talking about nepotism. The NBA is full of nepotism. The ownership level, front offices, coaching. I don’t want to hear about it all of a sudden because Bronny James’ father plays for the Lakers. It is rampant in this league."
The prospect, who plays as a point guard, was cleared to play by the NBA only last month after undergoing surgery previously - having been found to have a congenital heart defect. After learning that he will be joining his father in Los Angles, he took to Instagram, where he posted: "Beyond blessed."
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Discussing the prospect of the father-son pairing potentially playing together in the future, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said: "In the history of the NBA , there’s never been a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court and that feels like something that could be magical.
"We know, and have to respect of course, that LeBron has a decision on his opt-out ... but if it worked out that he was on our team next season, NBA history could be made," he said as he recognized the opportunity for a unique situation to play out next term. "NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform."
Assessing the teenager's credentials and potential to develop, Pelinka added: "Bronny is, first and foremost, a person of high character. And second, he is a young man that works incredibly hard. Those are the qualities we look for in drafting players and adding to our developmental corps at the Lakers."
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