Bronny James is officially a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, and it looks like his agent, Klutch Sports founder Rich Paul, has said everything he can to discourage other NBA teams from signing him.
Paul, who has long represented James' superstar father, NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James, was reportedly telling NBA teams not to draft the USC product because he would go play in Australia if they did.
“Rich Paul calls teams and says, 'Don't draft Bronny James,'” former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers said on ESPN's NBA Draft.
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Lebron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and his agent, Rich Paul, watch during the BIG3 Championship game between the Triplets and the Killer 3 on September 1, 2019 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“He's saying, 'Don't take him. If you take him, he'll go to Australia.' So he has a plan and a place.”
This Myers report came early in the second round, and he followed it up in a separate segment as the Lakers' 55th overall pick neared.
“I think we can all imagine what Rich Paul's goal is in that situation. There's a difference between hoping that happens and making sure it happens,” Myers said.
LAKERS SELECT LEBRON JAMES' SON, BRONNY, IN NBA DRAFT
If Paul's plan was to make sure that everyone who picked over the Lakers in the second round didn't think about James, then it was a huge success.
The James family was emotional, as you can imagine, when the Lakers called Bronny's name at No. 55, and Paul was seen sitting next to him as it all went down.
Bronny James poses for a photo during the 2024 NBA Combine on May 13, 2024 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. (Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images)
LeBron and Bronny have become the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time, and although the elder James has not made his return to the Lakers official next season, there is a big incentive to do so, now that your son is on board.
That being said, Bronny has been an intriguing NBA Draft prospect throughout this process due to his unimpressive stats in his first year with the Trojans, which has many debating whether his talent can develop into a player worthy of the NBA.
While his athleticism and drive have been evident, Bronny has not proven enough to scouts and experts to consider him a promising NBA prospect.
But who knows what James, who had a slow start to his first season after suffering cardiac arrest in late July 2023, can accomplish with his father and new Lakers head coach JJ Redick?
Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers reported that LeBron James' former agent Rich Paul had been telling NBA teams not to draft Bronny James prior to the Lakers' selection. (Fake Images)
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NBA fans have always discussed what it would be like if LeBron and Bronny could be on the same team. That has now become a reality, and apparently Paul did everything he could to make it happen.
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