The presence of younger guard Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, within the Los Angeles Lakers group has divided basketball followers. Many have accused the Lakers and the James camp of nepotism, whereas others have praised James for elevating his son to succeed in the NBA.
The 2 males will quickly change into the primary father-son duo to play collectively within the NBA on the identical workforce on the similar time, and each would be the focus of consideration as coaching camp approaches.
Lakers nice Shaquille O’Neal is amongst those that have taken a optimistic perspective in the direction of the scenario. Podcast “The OGs”He mentioned he supported younger James.
“Little Bronny is my nephew,” O’Neal mentioned. “I’m joyful for him. I want him properly. I do know his work ethic and there’s plenty of tales, good and unhealthy, behind that. I simply hope all the things works out.”
“I simply sat right here with Marlon Wayans on my podcast, and he mentioned, ‘I would like my youngsters to be joyful.’ And I would like younger (Bronny) to be joyful… The one factor for youths like that’s they’ve plenty of stress as a result of they’re carrying the household title. They don’t actually get to do what they need; they’re at all times going to be in comparison with us.
“My want for Bronny is for him to be joyful. I hate the intrigue, I hate the speak of nepotism and all that, it doesn’t matter. He’s right here, I would like him to be joyful, I would like him to carry out and I would like him to succeed as a result of his son and my son are the most effective of buddies. I’m not going to jeopardize their relationship by saying one thing. [expletive]. I would not say that. [expletive] “Anyway, as a result of LeBron and his household have at all times been good to me. He is like a nephew to me, so I simply want him the most effective of luck.”
O’Neal himself has a son named Shareef who tried out for the NBA. The youthful O’Neal attended Crossroads College in Santa Monica and spent two years on the College of California, Los Angeles, however didn’t play as a freshman on account of a coronary heart situation that required surgical procedure. For the 2020-21 season, he transferred to Louisiana State College, his father’s alma mater.
He was not chosen within the 2022 NBA draft, however was capable of play for the Lakers’ summer season league workforce that 12 months. He then performed the 2022–23 marketing campaign with the G League Ignite and averaged 5.6 factors, 3.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks in 15.5 minutes per recreation through the common season.
This text was initially revealed on LeBron Wire: Shaquille O’Neal Defends Bronny James: ‘He is Like a Nephew to Me’
