Video: Lakers’ LeBron, Bronny Defended by 4x NBA Champion John Salley amid Criticism | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

Former NBA forward John Salley believes there is jealousy involved following criticism of the Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to select Bronny James in the 2024 NBA draft and pair him with his father, LeBron James.

“I think it’s great that Bronny got drafted by the Lakers,” Salley, a four-time professional champion, told TMZ Sports. “And everybody that’s saying all that crap, listen, if my dad had the power, if my dad was the leading scorer, if my dad could have taken a pay cut so I could get a check — it’s like no other business.”

He added that the Jameses’ opponents “are just angry because they thought they couldn’t do it.”

Several things could be true.

Rich Paul, who represents LeBron and Bronny, told Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes in May that the United States is “built on nepotism,” citing multiple examples at the executive level in sports. In almost any other industry, people wouldn’t think twice about a son going to work for the same employer as his father.

But sports is not like most other businesses.

Using a second-round pick on a player who averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds as a freshman and then giving him nearly $8 million would have been questionable anyway. James’ family ties only heightened the conversation.

The pressure on Bronny to perform will be even greater. The attention would have followed him everywhere, but his partnership with LeBron in LA is different than if he had landed on a rebuilding team in a smaller market.

The 19-year-old is reportedly expected to spend a large portion of his rookie season with the South Bay Lakers in the NBA G League. That should help to reduce some of the attention, but few of the 2024 rookies will come under more scrutiny this coming season.