Nepotism arguments against Bronny James miss the mark

Lebron and Bronny play for the Lakers. | Los Angeles Lakers on X

Life is not fair. The lesson heard by many individuals succinctly describes how the world cannot be expected to be fair and that playing the victim will not help the situation. Adherents to this lesson should not take offence to Bronny James’ journey to the NBA: life is not fair. 

Lebron James and Bronny James became the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game, with the Lakers 110-103 victory versus the Timberwolves on Oct. 22. The pair checked in the game with 4:10 left in the second quarter, playing together for two and a half minutes.  

Averaging 14.1 points, five rebounds and two assists per game, Bronny’s senior year statistics  at Sierra Canyon High School did not warrant a McDonald’s All American selection. In his only season at the University of Southern California, Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and two assists per game, and these stats brought him into the league.

Clearly, Bronny’s father can be attributed to the Lakers drafting him, his selection as an All American and Bronny’s social media presence. However, looking at the NBA and many sports professions all together, nepotism attributes to some individuals acquiring positions and team roles. 

The relatives of former players, coaches and executives would likely have significant advantages in affording training, having networking connections and name recognition. The criticism  of Bronny James stems toward the name recognition—his name got him a roster spot. 

The Wolves, the team the Lakers played against opening night, know name recognition nepotism all too well. 

In the middle of 2018-19 NBA season, Ryan Saunders, 33, assumed head coaching duties of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and like Bronny, the last name likely played a factor in him getting the job. Flip Saunders, Ryan Saunders’ father, led the Timberwolves to eight playoff appearances from 1996-2005.

Like Bronny, Ryan inherits name recognition and a networking advantage. Many Wolves fans praised the initial promotion of Ryan Saunders as interim coach. For these fans, Flip Saunders’ 2015 death fueled a honeymoon period for Ryan, but after a 19-45 season in 2019-20 and a 7-24 start in the next season, Saunders’ time at the Wolves ended. 

Compared to Ryan Saunders’ nepotism, Bronny James ounces in comparison. Bronny James opening night lasted three minutes against Wolves, and during the course of the season, he will mostly have limited minutes. 33 year-old interim coach Ryan Saunders coached all 48 minutes on his opening night and was given head coaching responsibilities based on nepotism. 

Critics of Bronny might describe how the NBA game depends on the players more than other sports leagues, so even Bronny’s roster spot is serious nepotism.

On July 26, 2019, the Milwaukee Bucks signed small forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and the Bucks in the upcoming season — after losing in the eastern conference finals — looked to break through and win a title.

The off-season transaction seems very strange: Thanasis before the 2019 season was playing overseas, Thanasis scored 6 points in NBA games before being signed and Thanasis played four years in the D-League. What could have warranted this signing? Look at the last name again — Antetokounmpo.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, known as the “Greek Freak” and as a Bucks star player, has an on-going brotherly nepotism, with Thanasis Antetokounmpo signed on the Bucks for five seasons. With his previous accolades, Thanasis did not upgrade the Bucks in a significant way, and in most of his appearances, he played for less than 10 minutes per game. 

Like Thansis Antetokounmpo, Bronny James will appear in most games for a select few minutes, and in blowouts, he would likely receive more playing time. In 2021, the Bucks won the NBA title with Thanasis Antetokounmpo on the roster, so the whole argument that every valuable roster spot should not be wasted falls completely flat.

Bronny James competes in the NBA at 20 years old, which is a feat rarely anybody can display. Whether individuals take issue with Lebron James or want to uphold values of a meritocracy, views of Bronny’s nepotism exaggerate one case and understate a systemic problem in the NBA. 

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