Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Bronny James react on the bench through the second half of an NBA preseason basketball recreation towards the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Picture/Morry Gash)
LeBron James stood on the court docket subsequent to his son Bronny and couldn’t assist however look over at him to soak up the second. The duo wore matching Los Angeles Lakers jerseys with “James” and “James Jr.” embroidered in massive purple letters on their backs.
“It was just like the matrix or one thing,” LeBron mentioned afterward. “It simply didn’t really feel actual.”
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The Lakers helped the 39-year-old James notice a yearslong dream of enjoying alongside his son after they drafted Bronny with the fifty fifth general decide in June, making approach for them to grow to be the primary father-son pair to play in an NBA recreation collectively in a preseason matchup on Oct. 6.
READ: Bronny James hails ‘new beginnings’ in NBA preseason debut
Lakers normal supervisor Rob Pelinka has described the draft decide as “magical,” whereas his group has drawn criticisms about whether or not Bronny would have earned the chance if his father wasn’t one of many recreation’s best gamers. These objections—albeit met with widespread pleasure for the James household—reignited conversations about nepotism in sports activities and the way highly effective figures leverage their affect, whereas underscoring the stigma round children following within the footsteps of a profitable dad or mum or member of the family.
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“There’s all the time going to be people who find themselves saying that issues are nepotism,” mentioned Alice Leppert, an affiliate professor of media and communication research at Ursinus Faculty in Pennsylvania. “There’s going to be some cynical assumption that strings have been pulled and mainly that issues should not honest.”
READ: LeBron, Bronny James play collectively as Lakers for first time
That’s typically based mostly on individuals’s want to imagine in a meritocracy, Leppert mentioned, referring to the system the place somebody good points standing or rewards based mostly on their skills, not wealth or social standing.
“Basically, we don’t reside in a meritocracy,” Leppert added. “We need to reside in a meritocracy, and that’s why we get these kinds of debates.”
Critics of nepotism argue that these with out the identical entry to assets—i.e., producers and administrators within the leisure business, scouts and coaching services in sports activities—are left at a big drawback on the subject of alternatives.
100 situations
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9), proper, steps onto the court docket with Los Angeles Lakers ahead LeBron James (23) through the first half of a preseason NBA basketball recreation Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Palm Desert, Calif. (AP Picture/William Liang)
Others query why a apply so ingrained in society is being even talked about.
“I don’t need to hear these costs, individuals speaking about nepotism,” former ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski mentioned through the NBA draft. “The NBA is stuffed with nepotism. The possession degree, entrance places of work, teaching. I don’t need to hear it rapidly as a result of Bronny James’ father performs for the Lakers. It’s rampant on this league.”
READ: NBA: Lakers ponder when LeBron will share court docket with son Bronny
There have been about 100 situations in NBA historical past of gamers becoming a member of the league after their fathers performed. These younger males stepped into the league after their fathers’ careers ended, however they embody Stephen and Dell Curry, Kobe and Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, Invoice and Luke Walton, amongst others.
“I believe we’re resigned on this nation to the truth that for those who personal it, you are able to do no matter you need with it,” mentioned David Grenardo, a regulation professor and sports activities regulation knowledgeable on the College of St. Thomas in Minnesota. “So I’m the proprietor. I can go it all the way down to my children … And that’s considerably acceptable as a result of that particular person has the precise to do with their property what they need.”
That acceptance adjustments on the subject of athletes, Grenardo mentioned.
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“That’s the place we’re fully uncomfortable with the concept of somebody getting a possibility that they didn’t deserve,” he mentioned. “So then when you could have a state of affairs the place somebody who is probably not perceived as the very best is getting a possibility over another person … now it turns into, ‘Properly, whose child is that?’” Grenardo mentioned.
