So now it’s official Bronny James is entering next month’s NBA draft and I know what you’re thinking and…
No.
So now it’s obvious Lebron James‘ The eldest son gets the chance to play with his father and, wow, wouldn’t that be…?
No!
So now it’s happening, the Lakers They’re going to pick Bronny so they can re-sign LeBron and…
No no no!
The Lakers should not draft Bronny James under any circumstances, with any pick, absolutely not, stay away, take a pass, rule him out, pick someone else, anyone else.
Read more: Bronny James is ready to be himself, but the NBA still sees LeBron James Jr.
Adding Bronny James to the Lakers would be like lighting a cigarette at the gas pump.
His lack of self-control would result in an explosion.
Was confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday that Bronny, 19, will officially leave college after one season at USC and turn pro.
Bronny wasn’t overly impressive as a Trojan, averaging five points, three rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes per game after suffering a episode of cardiac arrest last summer. However, he was one of the best players in the recent NBA draft combine and then shined for each team during a pro day at the Lakers’ practice facility.
Some experts say he could advance to the first round. Others say he’s nothing more than a second-round pick. Some still believe that he is not worthy of recruitment at all.
But almost everyone agrees that the most predictable landing spot would be the Lakers.
Which, as expected, would be a disaster.
The Lakers have the 17th pick. It would be crazy to take him that high. The Lakers also have the 55th pick. They would be accommodating to take him there.
Face it, they would draft Bronny just as an incentive to get LeBron to re-sign with them after he opts out of his contract this summer. That’s a terrible reason for talent acquisition and forms a shaky foundation upon which the Bronny Experience would quickly crumble.
When your resume only says “Nepotism,” you are doomed from the beginning.
This isn’t to say someone shouldn’t recruit Bronny. You can’t judge him on his season at USC because he was recovering from a heart problem. He apparently has a great basketball IQ and, although he is only 6 feet 2 inches tall, his athletics is huge.
He could easily be a useful player and have great experience in many places. He deserves, like all recruits, to play somewhere where he can be himself and leave his own marks and be celebrated. He certainly could do this almost anywhere.
Read more: Bronny James does not think about playing with his father, he would be happy to reach the NBA
Anywhere but here.
If the Lakers draft him, first of all, they are not being fair to Bronny. The pressure on him to act so close to his father would be unsustainable.
It was bad enough when LeBron was sitting courtside at the Galen Center. Can you imagine how Bronny would feel with his father sitting across from him in the locker room?
Can you reflect on what it would be like to work so closely with your famous father? And how would his colleagues react? Would they ever fully trust Bronny? Could he ever truly be himself with his father always watching?
The problems would only get worse when they went to court. There would be incredibly cool moments, like a son-to-father ally, or a father-to-son crossover assist, but they wouldn’t be enough to make up for the constant heat on the kid’s shoulders.
Bronny would have to learn the professional game with his father controlling his every move, judging him, advising him, lecturing him, and maybe even scolding him occasionally.
It would be one thing if Bronny went 2-for-10 in Salt Lake City in a game LeBron can only watch on TV. Another thing would be for Bronny to have problems at Crypto.com Arena with LeBron on his neck.
It wouldn’t be pretty. It’s not pretty anymore.
Bronny addressed the topic with reporters at the Draft Combine when he said, “Yeah, it’s a lot.”
He added: “My dream has always been to get my name out there, make a name for myself and of course, you know, make it to the NBA… I never thought about just playing with my dad, but of course, he is.” I mentioned it a couple of times. But yeah, I don’t think about that.”
Read more: What NBA scouts have to say about Bronny James as a draft prospect
Perhaps the only people who would feel as much pressure as Bronny would be the Lakers themselves. Drafting Bronny would force them to give even more control to LeBron while also preparing for consistently uncomfortable situations.
So, let’s say, Bronny will have no minutes and needs to be sent to the G-League. Do they ask LeBron or do they tell him? And if you ask him, what if he says no?
And what if LeBron thinks Bronny isn’t being coached correctly? How ugly is that going to be? How many whispers will then escape from the locker room?
If the Lakers select Bronny, the benefits will be far outweighed by the circus. Daily attention will not focus on victories and defeats, but on father and son. Your working relationship will dominate the conversation on social media. With every move Bronny makes, the cameras will focus on LeBron’s reaction to that move.
No father and son ever played in the NBA at the same time. It would be history enough if Bronny played somewhere else. It would be hysteria if he played for the Lakers.
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This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.