Lakers Ownership Played Surprise Role in Drafting Bronny James

Despite being the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Bronny James has been the talk of the summer. All of his moves have been put under a microscope and he is facing more scrutiny than any 19-year-old rookie ever has. Even though that comes with the territory of being on the Lakers as LeBron's son, some of the criticism has been unfair.

One of those unjustified criticisms is the allegations of nepotism. The idea that the Lakers' top brass don't have decision-making powers and LeBron dictates everything in the organization is ludicrous. At the end of the day, Bronny was a late second-round pick. It's not like the Lakers used a ton of resources to acquire him.

The latest remarks by Rich Paul highlight this reality. LeBron and Bronny's agent underlined the fact that it was the Lakers ownership that wanted the 19-year-old to be in Los Angeles.

Lakers News: Jeanie Buss Wanted Bronny James in Los Angeles

According to the CEO of Klutch Sports, Rich Paul, it was Jeanie Buss who made the call on draft day.

"Look, Jeanie Buss decided that she’s making this call, and she’s been able to see Bronny in all aspects not only from a basketball perspective but also from a character perspective. And he has everything that aligns with the Laker brand. And so, you have to make that type of call. At the end of the day, we’re not going to spend too much time on that. Bronny has to work his way, and he will."

- Rich Paul

It is extremely rare that the owners get involved in a second-round draft pick. This is obviously special circumstances and Buss likely thought about the benefits of having Bronny on the Lakers. It made re-signing LeBron James easier and that is undoubtedly good for business. At the end of the day, team owners only think about the bottom line. And that bottom line for the Lakers has rightfully been to keep LeBron James in Los Angeles.

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