In a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, NBA super-agent Rich Paul broke his silence on the draft process surrounding one of his biggest clients: Bronny James . According to Paul, Bronny had multiple suitors at draft night and he made sure to turn all but the Lakers away with threats of playing for Australia.
"You have a relationship with people and when you make the calls they respect each other and they understand what was at stake in this case. There were several teams that had an interest in Bronnybutyou do have the calls and you talk about it. That's just relationships throughout the league. The Australia thing, that is what it is. In terms of having conversations with people that have a real interest and asking them why they felt a certain way, it goes both ways. Sometimes it goes my way, sometimes it goes their way."
Bronny went straight to the NBA after his first college season. For the USC Trojans last year, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Coming off a cardiac arrest that interrupted his summer routine, James struggled to get going out of the gate and it wasn't until later in the season that his potential started to shine.
Even so, after a modest college tenure, Bronny (19) was a controversial prospect among scouts. His lack of size, streaky shooting, and average finishing ability were the main contributing factors to him falling so low in the draft.
But by the draft, it was a given that Bronny would be drafted by the Lakers at 55. His dad, LeBron , had been speaking about the possibility for many months already and Rich Paul made it his mission to see it through.
Leading up to the draft, Bronny only worked out for two teams (Suns and Lakers) while shutting out everyone else. While other teams are known to have had an interest in James Jr., it seems a marriage with the Lakers was arranged from the start. On the night of the draft, Rich Paul did everything in his power to facilitate Bronny's arrival in Los Angeles, even telling other teams that Bronny would play in Australia over suiting up for any team other than the Purple and Gold.
These tactics are nothing new in the modern NBA and Bronny isn't the only one whose value was raised significantly because of his ties to the game. But for a guy who just went 55th overall, James sure has a lot of power and he's also somehow got a four-year deal worth $7.9 million.
Rich Paul was just doing his job by compiling with Bronny's wishes and he didn't deny forcing his hand to get him to the Lakers. But for one of the NBA's biggest and most renowned celebrity families, these things are to be expected and some would say unavoidable.
The ball is in Bronny's court now to validate his roster spot and prove to the haters that he's in the league based on his own merits. With a rough start in the summer league, it seems the process will be long and hard for James Jr. but he's got the support in place to grow and develop his game to become a truly exceptional player.
Related: Gilbert Arenas Claims Insecure Dads Are Angry At LeBron James For Getting Bronny Into The NBA
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