Sounds kinda entitled tbh, like relying on the history and the glamor of the lakers to build your team for you instead of just making smart and controlled basketball decisions. When he brought up the Celtics payroll how are they able to pay all these players makes no sense, they traded for all the pieces surrounding two stars they drafted and made a well constructed team. Trading for em gets their bird rights so they can go over the cap as much as they want to retain em
You paid a 40 Year old the max drafted his son and hired an ex-player he podcasts with as the head coach who's really running the organization it's ridiculous
These aren’t the basketball decisions of a serious contender. This is marketing and merchandising that will profit J Buss millions (billion?) and R Paul of course.
@@marcusgarvey6231 NBA is a business. Lakers are not a non-profit organization. Most of the owners are content making a lot of money every year without competing for the title.
I'm not a LeBron fan. I did hate him talking about it so much after regretting naming him Jr. To be real, I dislike the memos that Rich Paul has leaked out.
That and now trying to lie and say he earned his eat there and absolutely deserves his contract. Like bro just own it cause we all saw what you’ve been doing and saying. 🤷🏻♂️
i feel like pelinka ultimately let it happen jeanie green lights lebron out in public with shoulder hugs. draymond has more of an emotional connection with the warriors front office that's why he's still there and klay is not.
Because it’s suppose to be about competition. They already talking about paying him a guaranteed contract. I’m a Laker fan and it’s sad to see. Like Lavar Ball did whatever he could to get his kids in the spotlight but they EARNED the draft spot!
Players will never say it out loud, but they saw what happened with Westbrook when he became a Laker and decided that they want no part in this circus. They don't wanna sign up to be a scapegoat
The thing i don't understand is Bronny has had every advantage his whole life to have the best of everything to learn and train to make the NBA.... and he isn't better than so many young men who haven't had as much assistance. So how does that mean he has all this untaped potential? Not like when he gets to the NBA, the training, coaching, diet all that stuff is going to help him go to the next level like it will other guys who are already better than him.
Solid point. Truth is: he’s not that good. I have a friend that goes to Stanford and watched him play in person against them last December I think, and he said he was getting cooked-by some nerds basically 😂
The circus act will be Crypto games only and bronny will check in for 30-60-90 seconds with Daddy on the floor to make history and sell jerseys-t shirts
Shaq, MJ, Pippens sons too. It's very rare that legendary players sons (in many sports) can ever get out the legend shadow. At least those three never put a target on their kids back. Wade's son was playing pickup with pro players when he was a teen,...
Mostly just not having the talent. As Tim Hardaway explained about his son, the sons can never be as hungry or have the drive because they grew up rich.
Be real, most “real” Lakers fans are just Kobe fans. Did any of you even care when the Lakers were completely irrelevant in the years between Kobe and LeBron?
I think the original plan was for Bronny to go to USC and either ball out or have an above average season which would've made him a legitimate 1st round pick (in a weak draft) to a late 1st round team (a playoff team). LeBron would then join this playoff team as a way to play with his son but also sneak in a chance to win a ring without pissing off the Lakers fanbase and being called a traitor. The concensus would've been "He wanted to play with his son, we understand" and LeBron avoids the criticism. Fate intervened with Bronny's cardiac arrest and subsequent poor freshman season. It fucked up the plan and they had to pivot into this current strategy. Unfortunately there was no way to pull it off without it looking obvious.
You try to speak up and tell Bronny to pick up his slack and you will never get a pass thrown your way ever again or traded away to the shadow realm. Players don’t want to get involved in a potentially toxic environment.
Bron has all his hooks in the Lakers franchise now lol, he got his bag again and his son drafted. and clearly Rich Paul has some say in their FO decisions aswell, what a mess
These players are so self-motivated - Kobe had that city on his back, LeBron just likes the proximity to the limelight... Especially with LA being down so bad rn, they need something to lean on.
There are two reasons why he entered the draft this year. First, there were no absolute guarantees that LBJ would be around next year to anchor him. Second, and most important. Next year's class is just more loaded, there would be more competition.
Third. The more he plays the greater chance he gets exposed. Last season Bronny's team was able to point to the medical issue as a reason for his meager 4.8ppg.
They gonna handle him with kiddie gloves and use his heart as an excuse out of the league when he isn't able to perform, and now he is signed to a 3-4 year contract.
I know that. But towards the end of the videos they ask themselves why did Bronny not opt to stay one more year in college, where it would be easier to develop than in the NBA. This is what I was addressing.
@@EdeDizon False equivalence, Giannis didn't force Milwaukee to draft his brother in his second season. He was drafted by NY and develop in the euro league for a few years and avg 16.7 pts and 7 RB. Yes Thanasis sucks but he still put up good numbers to justify signing him.
@@EdeDizon Just because someone doesn't get playing time doesn't make them qualified to be in the league. Every team in the league has players that don't get playing time. Second point just because some one underperformed at the professional level doesn't mean it's ok for someone underperforming at the college level to get a guaranteed contract.
Players aren’t stupid…they’ve seen how this era of the Lakers has gone and they ain’t getting in the middle of that freakin circus. Not only do you have to be prepared to be blamed by LeFraud for the team failing…now there’s the added element of what’s gonna happen if you do or say the wrong thing to Bronny? No thanks.
The Lakers biggest problem is that the ownership has no comfort with stepping out from the franchise’s past and empowering a smart FO, not just Kobe’s Former Agent. 1. The team overreacted to losing in the ‘21 first round after winning a title and being a great team until AD and then Bron both went down after an incredibly short offseason. Trading too many good players for Russ who just didn’t fit and was aging. 2. Losing two postseasons of AD to injury is just a terrible break. 3. Bron, while still being great (and unparalleled for his age) is no longer a top 10 player thru a season and playoffs. And in the past, role players always had to play under the weight of playing for Bron’s Legacy but that was offset because Bron was playing at a GOAT level before. Now those same role players still have to play under the Bron weight (and Laker weight) but Bron isn’t a GOAT anymore at 40, just “merely” a top 15-20 player atp.
Yep. Jeannie needs to get a real GM/FO like Presti in OKC and empower them to make decisions and stop this "family run" business BS that also involve the Rambis shadow GM decisions in the background. Just be a owner Jeannie and let real compentent people run the basketball part of the business.
Remember that clip of kuzma pushing bron into postion on defense a few years back. These players are tired of having to pick up his slack and then getting blamed for all the shit. I truly think bron is the greatest nba player ever but damn i dont think ive ever heard him take accountability for anything that goes bad its always everybody else isnt good enough or its the coach
LeBron destroyed the team with his emotional/low-IQ demand they trade KCP, Caruso, etc. for Westbook. He's not an intelligent person. He might be an intelligent player, but that's a whole nother thing . Can't wait till he retires
Stop with the BS about how great it will be to see father and son play. It’s nothing like the Griffy situation lmao. Y’all are high or trying to gaslight us with that one - Bronny has only shown us that is going to ride the bench. It won’t be heartwarming and fun bc it’ll be a mess and the team will suck and prob (hopefully) LeBron will have some cope and seethe moments or even a few meltdowns on court bc Bronny is so trash.
I commend Hurley for resisting the temptation and making the smart decision to avoid this ticking time-bomb of a franchise. Much better opportunities will come around if he just waits. Hell, San Antonio may be looking for a coach in the next few years and who wouldn’t want that job?
Yes the Lakers are a mess. No one in their right mind would want to play or coach there. It's a mom and pop operation in an age of analytics and billionaires., and easily one of the 5 worst run teams in the league.
Since the Lakers got LeBron, they’ve only existed for his needs and his needs alone. The good will marketing of ‘Join The Lakers’/‘Play With LeBron’ just isn’t there right now, and might actually be a broader career detriment after the experience. It would be interesting to do a snapshot of every player and coach who came & went AFTER LeBron arrived and see if their value was thrown through the floor after being cast aside by LeBron and Lakers Management. Did people join the Lakers to be elevated (by association) only to have their value destroyed on the way out ?
@@marcodraven9778 Yeah, because usually teams blame their superstars... Like for example. The Celtics just traded Tatum after his terrible 2022 Finals. Moronx shouldn't be allowed to speak
@@edgardoMurnia lol your king never gets the blame for losing from the media, his teammates do and end up on trading block every 6 months even tho he is the common denominator
@@tdup191 So you mean that the Chicago Buills should've traded Jordan through the 80's when they were losing all the time? Your are a great basketball mind. And yes, he does gets blamed all the time by the media... and also he gets defended all the time. That doesn't mean a team would trade him as they wouldn't trade AD. BEcause that would be stupid. For you, normal, but for normal people, stupid
Anyone who said its the 55th pick it doesn't matter has to completely change their tune now. Its one thing to draft him when really his talent doesn't place him viably in that conversation, but he isn't on a two year deal or two way. They guaranteed 4 years for 7 million. Thats completely unheard of full stop. I really don't mean to throw shade on Bronny. He is a kid trying to navigate a dream in an immense shadow. Im sure thats a complex reality and I have empathy for that. But from a franchise POV, Klutch and Lebrons stature this is an embarrassment with fingerprints of a pattern of delusions. For me this really does affect LBJ's stature if only as a demonstration of maybe his biggest flaw. Obsessively dictating terms and decisions to his own detriment. Consistent questionable talent around him has often been from his own doing.
@@EdeDizon Thanasis wasn't drafted by the Bucks and it was after Giannis 1st season so he wasn't drafted as a ploy to recruit Giannis either. If Bronny was drafted by another team and signed to play with Bron years down the line this wouldn't be a big deal but in this current situation Bronny is only in the league because his dad wants to add the narrative of him playing with his son to his flawed resume 😂
Thanasis played professionally in Greece and got drafted to the Knicks when Giannis was in his 2nd year. And Milwaukee fans have criticized Giannis for years because of that. And the other brother got criticized for winning a ring with the Lakers too. But both of his brothers didn't get drafted to the bucks. Bronny got drafted to the Lakers to make LeBron happy
The only thing I hate about the nepobronny pick is that they now trying to lie and say he earned it and did it all on his own, like seriously y’all gonna try to gaslight America? Lebron trying to pull a trump and lie his way past the obvious truth. 🤣
Lebron hasn’t built up the emotional equity that Kobe built with the fanbase. The fanbase doesn’t care about Lebron and Bronny if they’re not winning a championship. Lakers fans are getting tired of the circus and wants results. The fanbase will turn on Lebron because his yearly act is getting stale!
Jordan's kids for example work with Jordan brand, makes perfect sense, he did not force his kids into being professional basketball players. Nepotism is rampant everywhere but this is another level.
In all honesty, I think Jenny Buss should sell the Lakers...she would get way above market value and be one of the richest women in America after the sale.
I remember all the platitudes for Jeanie Buss being a great boss for the Lakers, but she’s been every bit as inept as her brother (the one she fired). How they accidentally won a title in the bubble is beyond me.
I'll be honest there are alot of bron fan mixed in with younger laker fans that make it a delusional fan base...gone are the days of dr buss who was about winning and buness...now it seems about business minus the winning
to be fair, any other player that gave me 26/7/8 54% fg and 41% from 3 on just 18 shots, im saying take more shots... yes his defense is poor until it counts nowadays but ive seen teams build around worse defensive max players...his production says max player, its about as good as Kawhi was last year pre injury and no one says Kawhi isnt a max level player when healthy
Jeanie Buss gets the team from her daddy… Team executive Linda Rambis is wife of Kurt Rambis but everyone is mad a Bron… the double standard is ridiculous
Jeanie father OWNED the Lakers and typically ppl tht own assests pass them down to their children. Bron doesnt OWN anything in the NBA so his son getting drafted just to push more false GOAT narratives is hardly a double standard. If Bron got Bronny a job at Klutch after graduating college there would be little to no backlash
Problem with the Lakers isn’t the roster, problem with the Lakers is Lebron and AD aren’t top 5 players anymore. In 2020 Lebron was the best player in the league and AD was probably 3 to 5. In 2024 they’re like the 12th and 14th best players in the league. That’s why they were a play in team despite AD and Bron playing basically a full season
If time has shown us anything since they traded all those young guys to get AD. Can we really say the lakers drafted wrong? All those guys they drafted with the exception of kuzma. Turned out to be all stars or borderline
Yep. The 76ers had a version of this after Embiid established himself and the "process" still had a good pile of draft picks. The 6ers kept drafting guys, hoping one or two would be a good piece, saw that player develop a little, then gave up on the young player for another pick or trade, "tried" again. Repeating similar steps, never sticking with any group of young players, getting less in return each repeat, then wondering why they had not really amassed a good "young core"...
Lonzo Ball hasn’t played in two years and Larry Nance Jr has never been close to an All Star. He averaged 5.7ppg and 5 rebounds last year. Caruso was undrafted, Josh Hart wasnt drafted by the Lakers….you have no idea what you’re sputtering
@@roycedot okay so I was off by one player which is Larry nace. I also said the players that the lakers drafted. So why are you bring up Josh heart? For lonzo there were no injury concerns around him if I recall correctly when he was drafted. Injuries happen but they also don’t so why are you bring up that he hasent played in nearly two years? He’s wasent injury prone when he was on the lakers. Who’s to say if he was never traded that he would have still gotten hurt? Also those injuries don’t take away from lonzo talent. He fixed his jump shot , was and hopefully still can be a lock down defender, always had crazy vision and was a floor general. How is that not a great pick? Especially when you have Julius Randle? Or Ingram he would have set them up all day
All I want to know is how AD feels about this BS. Like he’s cool with wasting another 2 years of Basketball? He’s gotta play with Lebron his son and his coach. If I’m AD I’m hitting that eject button a month into the season! Trade me please
by the end of this conversation, it was very much a "Kobe would never" difference in approach to basketball the sport you play at the highest lever. Kobe went down with his ship, LeBron has created holes while masquerading as giving the people the opportunity to plug the holes because a great player like him is worth plugging up a leaky boat for.
I think LeBron is a genius. I think he has an immense capacity for generosity. LeBron seems to be an amazing father, husband, family man and friend. I also think he is egomaniacal and looks at Bronny not making the NBA as his own personal failure. He would be more embarrassed for himself than he would be sad for his boy. Not that he doesn’t love his son, and want the best for him-so there are some dissonant emotional juxtapositions here-but LeBron doesn’t lose in this situation in any way. He gets paid-again, gets to play in LA, close to all his business interests and the radiant weather utterly antithetical Ohio’s, and gets to play with his kid. The Lakers win big off-court; lose big on-court, which means Lakers fans lose. The rest of the NBA fans win big in the schadenfreude department, so media outlets/clickbait outfits all win, which means humanity loses once again to AI (read back to the chorus is ‘Just’ by Radiohead). Ultimately, Bronny loses because, despite having been drafted to the NBA and his eventual all-time enviable inheritance, pillows soft enough to skydive onto from 30,000 ft. in boxers, he will always be aware of the LBJ golden stilts with which he’s strutted over the giant gates guarding the NBA dreams of millions.
Cowboy Van from NOLA is a Lakers fan. That tracks. Why is the father/son thing cool? It's actually kinda lame. It was manufactured as fuck. If I were Bronny, I'd try to get as far away from my father's legacy as possible.
The guy is the cowboy hat does a brilliant job of describing the Lakers' situation, right up until the part about Bronny, where he seems kind of hesitant to speak his mind. Let me fill in the part that he's hesitant to say: he doesn't like the Bronny thing because it's MANUFACTURED. Just like other aspects of Lebron's career, where he was obsessed with trying to mirror Michael Jordan's career. This father/son thing is his new obsession...and as great as Lebron is, he is incapable of just letting things play out naturally and needs to try to control the narrative.
It's par for the course when working with LeBron, only he isn't as good as he was when he joined Miami or re-joined Cleveland. That's the price for catering to a superstar free agent. Would the Lakers have won in 2020 with the players they drafted instead of LeBron and AD? Subsequently, the front office went with a high risk/high reward strategy in trades, going with star power instead of fit. Now, they are reaping the returns. As for Bronny, I wish him the best, I don't necessarily agree with his selection/contract but it's their money so I'll STFU. Interesting to see what happens, let's see if he becomes anything more than a footnote. After all, no one gives the sons of famous fathers any credit until they succeed.
Let’s not act like players haven’t been drafted over better players before because of connections. Of course this is highlighted because it’s Lebron and you mfs love hating on that man
Yeah there’s always been playing favorites in sports especially in with the draft, whether it’s flat out nepotism by blood or friend of a friend stuff. idk man an NBA Basketball is a 15-man roster right now, at worst, Bronny is taking up one roster slot. If it works out, great. If not, in a few years or less, he won’t be a Laker like Shaq’s kid, Pip’s kid, and GPII (I still remember them cutting him!). Feels like the media is making it more of a big deal than it is.
@@folkdude01 agreed. After all its the franchise's decision. Why are people mad like it effects them in some way? I think you take a chance on LBJ DNA with pick 55. Most 2nd rounders never even touch the court. Its really not a big deal
Jordan never made the playoffs with the Wizards, Kobe never made the playoffs his last four years, so I think LeBron is more than content that he'll never get another ring
The #1 thing for me is that by Lebron forcing the situation, but ensuring his son got into the league, it is robbed of any specialness a Father/Son team up could have had.
It was a 2nd round pick, not that big a deal. What will make it a big deal is JJ being coach because JJ will ensure he gets play time which is why JJs there in the first place. The lakers will turn into Bronny’s basketball camp with Lebron as the head counselor.
@@kevinc8955 Lebron still forced it to happen. The magic isn't there. It is entirely manufacture and thus the awe of finally seeing a true father/son combo in the NBA is stolen from us
Gotta admit, the Lakers are out-jetting the Jets. How dare they try and compete against the Jets' eternal desire to under any circumstances win the offseason?
0:12 Bill's smile I can't even🤣🤣🤣...that smile sums up the way Celtics fan's have been feeling since banner 18 and this Lakers dumpster fire is the cherry on the top!!!
Instead of sacrificing salary, he added $2 million worthless in the form of Bronny. Lebron is some piece of work. We ripped the hell out of him for never sacrificing money for Chips like Jordan and two days later he's yapping about it. He watches RUclips like a hawk.
He literally only compared them playing with their fathers lol. How you gonna get triggered when right after, he mentions the vast difference in their talent?
@@edfa3706 No he didn't. The Lakers are still a successful franchise who generate ridiculous amounts of revenue and garner a significant amount of attention with one of the top five greatest players of all time on their roster. They now have a father and son team playing on their roster and will get so much media hype this season because of it. Klay can go to the Mavs and lose in the Conference Finals and that's cool. But the Lakers stay the Lakers and don't care what some cowboy wearing pundit has to say during his five minutes of fame riding Bill Simmons' coattails.
@@KK-pm7ud Lol, I'm glad the fans can be happy with how much money the Lakers are making, and how much attention they are getting, without winning anything. Share some of that money with the fans!
they are right, the Lakers need defense. But LeBron basically stopped defending entirely after the bubble Championship. You cannot win anything with 4 defenders on the court
Imagine telling some kid that grew up in the projects or war torn country that a player that their better than 'deserved' to get drafted and that wasn't nepotism. Now imagine telling Tyrese Haliburton that some rookie deserves half what you have had to bust your ass in incentives to earn in your career and its guaranteed. I'm not going to root against the kid, but I'm going to give him the time of day he deserves which is none.
Thank you Van Lathan Jr. for clearly articulating this fellow Lakers fan thoughts.
Sounds kinda entitled tbh, like relying on the history and the glamor of the lakers to build your team for you instead of just making smart and controlled basketball decisions. When he brought up the Celtics payroll how are they able to pay all these players makes no sense, they traded for all the pieces surrounding two stars they drafted and made a well constructed team. Trading for em gets their bird rights so they can go over the cap as much as they want to retain em
The new salary cap rules will actually make the Celtics hard to keep together@@CheepsAhoy69
You paid a 40 Year old the max drafted his son and hired an ex-player he podcasts with as the head coach who's really running the organization it's ridiculous
Dude you haven’t even seen it in action 😂
These aren’t the basketball decisions of a serious contender. This is marketing and merchandising that will profit J Buss millions (billion?) and R Paul of course.
@@marcusgarvey6231
NBA is a business. Lakers are not a non-profit organization. Most of the owners are content making a lot of money every year without competing for the title.
@Mar-t6n funny i didn't need to see bron + westbrook to play to know that wouldn't work either
And they threw in the Dan Hurley thing at the end to make it look like LeBron isn't running the whole thing lmaooo
No one hates Brony for being drafted, they hate his dad for forcing it to happen.
I'm not a LeBron fan. I did hate him talking about it so much after regretting naming him Jr. To be real, I dislike the memos that Rich Paul has leaked out.
That and now trying to lie and say he earned his eat there and absolutely deserves his contract. Like bro just own it cause we all saw what you’ve been doing and saying. 🤷🏻♂️
i feel like pelinka ultimately let it happen jeanie green lights lebron out in public with shoulder hugs. draymond has more of an emotional connection with the warriors front office that's why he's still there and klay is not.
Why does it bother people that aren’t Laker fans? Get a life seriously
Because it’s suppose to be about competition. They already talking about paying him a guaranteed contract. I’m a Laker fan and it’s sad to see. Like Lavar Ball did whatever he could to get his kids in the spotlight but they EARNED the draft spot!
Players will never say it out loud, but they saw what happened with Westbrook when he became a Laker and decided that they want no part in this circus. They don't wanna sign up to be a scapegoat
Westbrook played like trash and after he left
That's probably the first thing the Mavs told Klay when they saw him
I wouldn’t want to either. No one wants to deal with the bullshit all together. Period!
Don’t forget the Frank Vogel situation too, no coach or player wants to deal with this organisation
Playing with Bron is more trouble than it’s worth
The thing i don't understand is Bronny has had every advantage his whole life to have the best of everything to learn and train to make the NBA.... and he isn't better than so many young men who haven't had as much assistance.
So how does that mean he has all this untaped potential?
Not like when he gets to the NBA, the training, coaching, diet all that stuff is going to help him go to the next level like it will other guys who are already better than him.
You’re correct and it’s them who are trying to gaslight us all lol
Solid point. Truth is: he’s not that good. I have a friend that goes to Stanford and watched him play in person against them last December I think, and he said he was getting cooked-by some nerds basically 😂
The circus act will be Crypto games only and bronny will check in for 30-60-90 seconds with Daddy on the floor to make history and sell jerseys-t shirts
Shaq, MJ, Pippens sons too. It's very rare that legendary players sons (in many sports) can ever get out the legend shadow. At least those three never put a target on their kids back.
Wade's son was playing pickup with pro players when he was a teen,...
Mostly just not having the talent. As Tim Hardaway explained about his son, the sons can never be as hungry or have the drive because they grew up rich.
Real lakers fans can't stand anymore of this circus
New stadium in Inglewood if real lakers fans wanted to make a statement
Be real, most “real” Lakers fans are just Kobe fans. Did any of you even care when the Lakers were completely irrelevant in the years between Kobe and LeBron?
@@aricrudd6579 im here since 1990 só just chill bronsexual
@@aricrudd6579to us real Laker fans they’re always relevant.
That unintentional smile was hilarious
So genuine couldn't hide it
Priceless!!!!! He hate the Lakers badly 🤣😂
I think the original plan was for Bronny to go to USC and either ball out or have an above average season which would've made him a legitimate 1st round pick (in a weak draft) to a late 1st round team (a playoff team).
LeBron would then join this playoff team as a way to play with his son but also sneak in a chance to win a ring without pissing off the Lakers fanbase and being called a traitor.
The concensus would've been "He wanted to play with his son, we understand" and LeBron avoids the criticism.
Fate intervened with Bronny's cardiac arrest and subsequent poor freshman season. It fucked up the plan and they had to pivot into this current strategy.
Unfortunately there was no way to pull it off without it looking obvious.
Van mirrors my thoughts on the nepotism.Very well put.
"I've never been a fan of stepping over somebody who's scrapping for it because of who your pops is, and I'm not gonna start now." I loved that.
Need more Van. Currently my favorite BS guest. Him + Russillo should do a weekly pod together
Definitely a BS guest
Nah, he tokeny. They bring him on to talk about rap. Why they talking about these boring immature rap beefs?
There are some really funny bits when Van and Russillo pod together in the past.
@@mattc5647 lol no one thinks that except you..,
You try to speak up and tell Bronny to pick up his slack and you will never get a pass thrown your way ever again or traded away to the shadow realm.
Players don’t want to get involved in a potentially toxic environment.
Bron has all his hooks in the Lakers franchise now lol, he got his bag again and his son drafted. and clearly Rich Paul has some say in their FO decisions aswell, what a mess
These players are so self-motivated - Kobe had that city on his back, LeBron just likes the proximity to the limelight... Especially with LA being down so bad rn, they need something to lean on.
What is so cool about seeing a father play with his son in a league that the son did not belong or earn his spot to be in said league
There are two reasons why he entered the draft this year. First, there were no absolute guarantees that LBJ would be around next year to anchor him. Second, and most important. Next year's class is just more loaded, there would be more competition.
Third. The more he plays the greater chance he gets exposed. Last season Bronny's team was able to point to the medical issue as a reason for his meager 4.8ppg.
They gonna handle him with kiddie gloves and use his heart as an excuse out of the league when he isn't able to perform, and now he is signed to a 3-4 year contract.
@@je5406 BINGO! This was the answer we were looking for!
You make a fair point, but the criticism is not aimed at Bronny being drafted. The criticism is the narrative that he earned it, that he deserved it.
I know that. But towards the end of the videos they ask themselves why did Bronny not opt to stay one more year in college, where it would be easier to develop than in the NBA. This is what I was addressing.
Once lebron retires, stars will flock to the lakers. Players dont want to play with lebron.
Nice to hear someone calling out nepotism.
You mean like Thanasis and Giannis in Milwaukee?
@@EdeDizon False equivalence, Giannis didn't force Milwaukee to draft his brother in his second season. He was drafted by NY and develop in the euro league for a few years and avg 16.7 pts and 7 RB. Yes Thanasis sucks but he still put up good numbers to justify signing him.
Also Thanasis has the size and strength of a professional athlete. If you gonna be Bronny-sized you better have elite skills.
@cyberpunk6441 and what exactly is Thanasis doing in the league now other than being a cheerleader?
@@EdeDizon Just because someone doesn't get playing time doesn't make them qualified to be in the league. Every team in the league has players that don't get playing time. Second point just because some one underperformed at the professional level doesn't mean it's ok for someone underperforming at the college level to get a guaranteed contract.
Players aren’t stupid…they’ve seen how this era of the Lakers has gone and they ain’t getting in the middle of that freakin circus. Not only do you have to be prepared to be blamed by LeFraud for the team failing…now there’s the added element of what’s gonna happen if you do or say the wrong thing to Bronny? No thanks.
Bronny just added 6 years to some poor kids journey to the league
The Buss ownership thinks they deserved the Laker ownership and they are all aboard for others doing the same thing.
The Lakers biggest problem is that the ownership has no comfort with stepping out from the franchise’s past and empowering a smart FO, not just Kobe’s Former Agent.
1. The team overreacted to losing in the ‘21 first round after winning a title and being a great team until AD and then Bron both went down after an incredibly short offseason. Trading too many good players for Russ who just didn’t fit and was aging.
2. Losing two postseasons of AD to injury is just a terrible break.
3. Bron, while still being great (and unparalleled for his age) is no longer a top 10 player thru a season and playoffs. And in the past, role players always had to play under the weight of playing for Bron’s Legacy but that was offset because Bron was playing at a GOAT level before. Now those same role players still have to play under the Bron weight (and Laker weight) but Bron isn’t a GOAT anymore at 40, just “merely” a top 15-20 player atp.
Yep. Jeannie needs to get a real GM/FO like Presti in OKC and empower them to make decisions and stop this "family run" business BS that also involve the Rambis shadow GM decisions in the background. Just be a owner Jeannie and let real compentent people run the basketball part of the business.
Remember that clip of kuzma pushing bron into postion on defense a few years back. These players are tired of having to pick up his slack and then getting blamed for all the shit. I truly think bron is the greatest nba player ever but damn i dont think ive ever heard him take accountability for anything that goes bad its always everybody else isnt good enough or its the coach
Well said Van. I ain't rooting for the rich kid that jumped spots because of their dad. No ill will, just not something i'll be actively doing.
In a few years from now this era of the Lakers will be looked on upon as a weird reality show.
LeBron destroyed the team with his emotional/low-IQ demand they trade KCP, Caruso, etc. for Westbook. He's not an intelligent person. He might be an intelligent player, but that's a whole nother thing . Can't wait till he retires
its baffling how moronic and arrogant this comment is. should’ve stayed a stain on the bedsheet
Or maybe All time great players sometimes turn out to be bad GM’s or owners
Unhinged hate 😭😭🫵 praying for you
He also greenlit the AD trade, but you won’t give him any credit for that. But ofc when the Westbrook trade doesn’t work it’s all Lebrons fault
@@manassharma7074I think most 2k players would have greenlit the AD move 😂. It was a no brainer.
The Lakers are unserious!
Appreciate your no-nonsense view. Our franchise is a gutter ball! 💜💛
It’s not just the Lakers. The NBA is fully on board and trying to find any gimmick that might get clicks. It’s an unserious league.
Stop with the BS about how great it will be to see father and son play. It’s nothing like the Griffy situation lmao. Y’all are high or trying to gaslight us with that one - Bronny has only shown us that is going to ride the bench. It won’t be heartwarming and fun bc it’ll be a mess and the team will suck and prob (hopefully) LeBron will have some cope and seethe moments or even a few meltdowns on court bc Bronny is so trash.
Van you summed it up. I wish the best for the kid and everything but I’m just not a fan of how it was handled .
I commend Hurley for resisting the temptation and making the smart decision to avoid this ticking time-bomb of a franchise. Much better opportunities will come around if he just waits. Hell, San Antonio may be looking for a coach in the next few years and who wouldn’t want that job?
Players don't want to play with the circus that is Lebron and the Lakers.
I wonder how Nephew Kyle feels about Van's thoughts on nepotism.
Or Cousin Sal.
He says he's taking less money but none of those people were coming to LA so he's a winner winner
Van was spittin’ this whole podcast.
Yes the Lakers are a mess. No one in their right mind would want to play or coach there. It's a mom and pop operation in an age of analytics and billionaires., and easily one of the 5 worst run teams in the league.
Love Van so much. Why don't we as Lakers fans ever get to talk about trading AD? It has seemed like the most obvious move for me for years now.
Jeanie is a horrible owner / Governor of the lakers.
Just say owner…there’s nothing wrong with it.
She's a good owner. Shut up.
@@KK-pm7ud 😂😂😂😂 She is a worse then Jim Buss
@@KK-pm7ud she's one of the worst owners in professional sports
@@jackharrington697 my dog is a better Governor prospect for the Lakers than Jim Buss...
Since the Lakers got LeBron, they’ve only existed for his needs and his needs alone. The good will marketing of ‘Join The Lakers’/‘Play With LeBron’ just isn’t there right now, and might actually be a broader career detriment after the experience.
It would be interesting to do a snapshot of every player and coach who came & went AFTER LeBron arrived and see if their value was thrown through the floor after being cast aside by LeBron and Lakers Management.
Did people join the Lakers to be elevated (by association) only to have their value destroyed on the way out ?
That's every Lebron team. He is a narcissist.
That last statement summed it all up
No One wants to play with Lebron and be part of the circus..
such a circus and yet everyone gets paid... EVERYONE
Hachimura. Reaves. Vanderbilt. Caruso. KPC. Kuzma. I can go on and on. Lol.
And be the fall guy too.
@@marcodraven9778 Yeah, because usually teams blame their superstars... Like for example. The Celtics just traded Tatum after his terrible 2022 Finals.
Moronx shouldn't be allowed to speak
@@edgardoMurnia lol your king never gets the blame for losing from the media, his teammates do and end up on trading block every 6 months even tho he is the common denominator
@@tdup191 So you mean that the Chicago Buills should've traded Jordan through the 80's when they were losing all the time?
Your are a great basketball mind.
And yes, he does gets blamed all the time by the media... and also he gets defended all the time.
That doesn't mean a team would trade him as they wouldn't trade AD.
BEcause that would be stupid. For you, normal, but for normal people, stupid
Anyone who said its the 55th pick it doesn't matter has to completely change their tune now. Its one thing to draft him when really his talent doesn't place him viably in that conversation, but he isn't on a two year deal or two way. They guaranteed 4 years for 7 million. Thats completely unheard of full stop.
I really don't mean to throw shade on Bronny. He is a kid trying to navigate a dream in an immense shadow. Im sure thats a complex reality and I have empathy for that. But from a franchise POV, Klutch and Lebrons stature this is an embarrassment with fingerprints of a pattern of delusions. For me this really does affect LBJ's stature if only as a demonstration of maybe his biggest flaw. Obsessively dictating terms and decisions to his own detriment. Consistent questionable talent around him has often been from his own doing.
It’s not unheard of and it’s the freaking league minimum. Who cares
Also why is this a big deal when Thanasis taking up a real roster spot in Milwuakee when they're struggling.
@@EdeDizon Thanasis wasn't drafted by the Bucks and it was after Giannis 1st season so he wasn't drafted as a ploy to recruit Giannis either. If Bronny was drafted by another team and signed to play with Bron years down the line this wouldn't be a big deal but in this current situation Bronny is only in the league because his dad wants to add the narrative of him playing with his son to his flawed resume 😂
Thanasis played professionally in Greece and got drafted to the Knicks when Giannis was in his 2nd year. And Milwaukee fans have criticized Giannis for years because of that. And the other brother got criticized for winning a ring with the Lakers too. But both of his brothers didn't get drafted to the bucks. Bronny got drafted to the Lakers to make LeBron happy
The only thing I hate about the nepobronny pick is that they now trying to lie and say he earned it and did it all on his own, like seriously y’all gonna try to gaslight America? Lebron trying to pull a trump and lie his way past the obvious truth. 🤣
Spot on.
The Lakers and Lebron deserve each other
Lebron hasn’t built up the emotional equity that Kobe built with the fanbase. The fanbase doesn’t care about Lebron and Bronny if they’re not winning a championship. Lakers fans are getting tired of the circus and wants results. The fanbase will turn on Lebron because his yearly act is getting stale!
Wish I could articulate my thoughts as well as Van Lathan Jr. does
Van should've brought up nephew Kyle and Bill's daughter having a podcast on the Ringer, see what his reaction was lmao
Jordan's kids for example work with Jordan brand, makes perfect sense, he did not force his kids into being professional basketball players. Nepotism is rampant everywhere but this is another level.
If you loved lob city, u r gonna love: NEPOTISM MUNICIPALITY
LeGM doesn’t know how to build a team. It’s not a blame thing. Like Bill said - bargain bin players- Prince, Reddish, Rui
Having recently watched the Saving Private Ryan Rewatchables episode.... Bronny didn't "earn it"
In all honesty, I think Jenny Buss should sell the Lakers...she would get way above market value and be one of the richest women in America after the sale.
Man, Laker's could get like 10-15 Billion.
last line of that hit real true
I remember all the platitudes for Jeanie Buss being a great boss for the Lakers, but she’s been every bit as inept as her brother (the one she fired). How they accidentally won a title in the bubble is beyond me.
I don't know after Kobe they drafted pretty well. They could have had a team with BI, Randle, Kuzma, Hart, Ball, and Caruso. But no championship.
That team could have won the bubble mickey mouse ring
I'll be honest there are alot of bron fan mixed in with younger laker fans that make it a delusional fan base...gone are the days of dr buss who was about winning and buness...now it seems about business minus the winning
to be fair, any other player that gave me 26/7/8 54% fg and 41% from 3 on just 18 shots, im saying take more shots... yes his defense is poor until it counts nowadays but ive seen teams build around worse defensive max players...his production says max player, its about as good as Kawhi was last year pre injury and no one says Kawhi isnt a max level player when healthy
Jeanie Buss gets the team from her daddy… Team executive Linda Rambis is wife of Kurt Rambis but everyone is mad a Bron… the double standard is ridiculous
Shhh. Dont make these people notice things they dont want to.
And Bill’s discussion includes a self hating want to be cowboy
Jeanie father OWNED the Lakers and typically ppl tht own assests pass them down to their children. Bron doesnt OWN anything in the NBA so his son getting drafted just to push more false GOAT narratives is hardly a double standard. If Bron got Bronny a job at Klutch after graduating college there would be little to no backlash
Thank you bro
@@tdup191 Just a hater
Problem with the Lakers isn’t the roster, problem with the Lakers is Lebron and AD aren’t top 5 players anymore. In 2020 Lebron was the best player in the league and AD was probably 3 to 5. In 2024 they’re like the 12th and 14th best players in the league. That’s why they were a play in team despite AD and Bron playing basically a full season
That Bronny draft pick also rubbed me the wrong way. That’s nepotism at its worst.
Who should've gotten the pick then?
There have been far more egregious nepotism cases in America. Basketball is just entertainment. It's not that serious.
If time has shown us anything since they traded all those young guys to get AD. Can we really say the lakers drafted wrong? All those guys they drafted with the exception of kuzma. Turned out to be all stars or borderline
Yep. The 76ers had a version of this after Embiid established himself and the "process" still had a good pile of draft picks. The 6ers kept drafting guys, hoping one or two would be a good piece, saw that player develop a little, then gave up on the young player for another pick or trade, "tried" again. Repeating similar steps, never sticking with any group of young players, getting less in return each repeat, then wondering why they had not really amassed a good "young core"...
Lonzo Ball hasn’t played in two years and Larry Nance Jr has never been close to an All Star. He averaged 5.7ppg and 5 rebounds last year. Caruso was undrafted, Josh Hart wasnt drafted by the Lakers….you have no idea what you’re sputtering
@@roycedot okay so I was off by one player which is Larry nace. I also said the players that the lakers drafted. So why are you bring up Josh heart? For lonzo there were no injury concerns around him if I recall correctly when he was drafted. Injuries happen but they also don’t so why are you bring up that he hasent played in nearly two years? He’s wasent injury prone when he was on the lakers. Who’s to say if he was never traded that he would have still gotten hurt? Also those injuries don’t take away from lonzo talent. He fixed his jump shot , was and hopefully still can be a lock down defender, always had crazy vision and was a floor general. How is that not a great pick? Especially when you have Julius Randle? Or Ingram he would have set them up all day
LeBron has got rid of a lot of players that are better than most the current Lakers roster.
All I want to know is how AD feels about this BS. Like he’s cool with wasting another 2 years of Basketball? He’s gotta play with Lebron his son and his coach. If I’m AD I’m hitting that eject button a month into the season! Trade me please
Two real housewives of LA are running the Lakers. Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis 😂 no one is surprised at the incompetency.
And they are down to have a 3 some with the team star
I don't want to root for a team that isn't doing everything it can to win. Drafting Bronny is about getting attention and pacifying LeBron.
lebron did his part only taking 50 mil a year so they could afford more stars
They've been a mess for years. LeBron's been done with serious basketball.
They made the conference finals in 2022
@@Jack-jx6ln 2023
by the end of this conversation, it was very much a "Kobe would never" difference in approach to basketball the sport you play at the highest lever. Kobe went down with his ship, LeBron has created holes while masquerading as giving the people the opportunity to plug the holes because a great player like him is worth plugging up a leaky boat for.
I think LeBron is a genius. I think he has an immense capacity for generosity. LeBron seems to be an amazing father, husband, family man and friend. I also think he is egomaniacal and looks at Bronny not making the NBA as his own personal failure. He would be more embarrassed for himself than he would be sad for his boy. Not that he doesn’t love his son, and want the best for him-so there are some dissonant emotional juxtapositions here-but LeBron doesn’t lose in this situation in any way. He gets paid-again, gets to play in LA, close to all his business interests and the radiant weather utterly antithetical Ohio’s, and gets to play with his kid. The Lakers win big off-court; lose big on-court, which means Lakers fans lose. The rest of the NBA fans win big in the schadenfreude department, so media outlets/clickbait outfits all win, which means humanity loses once again to AI (read back to the chorus is ‘Just’ by Radiohead). Ultimately, Bronny loses because, despite having been drafted to the NBA and his eventual all-time enviable inheritance, pillows soft enough to skydive onto from 30,000 ft. in boxers, he will always be aware of the LBJ golden stilts with which he’s strutted over the giant gates guarding the NBA dreams of millions.
Cowboy Van from NOLA is a Lakers fan. That tracks.
Why is the father/son thing cool? It's actually kinda lame. It was manufactured as fuck. If I were Bronny, I'd try to get as far away from my father's legacy as possible.
The guy is the cowboy hat does a brilliant job of describing the Lakers' situation, right up until the part about Bronny, where he seems kind of hesitant to speak his mind. Let me fill in the part that he's hesitant to say: he doesn't like the Bronny thing because it's MANUFACTURED. Just like other aspects of Lebron's career, where he was obsessed with trying to mirror Michael Jordan's career. This father/son thing is his new obsession...and as great as Lebron is, he is incapable of just letting things play out naturally and needs to try to control the narrative.
It's par for the course when working with LeBron, only he isn't as good as he was when he joined Miami or re-joined Cleveland. That's the price for catering to a superstar free agent. Would the Lakers have won in 2020 with the players they drafted instead of LeBron and AD? Subsequently, the front office went with a high risk/high reward strategy in trades, going with star power instead of fit. Now, they are reaping the returns. As for Bronny, I wish him the best, I don't necessarily agree with his selection/contract but it's their money so I'll STFU. Interesting to see what happens, let's see if he becomes anything more than a footnote. After all, no one gives the sons of famous fathers any credit until they succeed.
JJ won’t make it 3 seasons
He will get fired in 2 years
Yeah fired in 2, paid for 2 more not coaching like Vogel & Ham. It's how Lakers like to throw away $$$.
Let’s not act like players haven’t been drafted over better players before because of connections. Of course this is highlighted because it’s Lebron and you mfs love hating on that man
Yeah there’s always been playing favorites in sports especially in with the draft, whether it’s flat out nepotism by blood or friend of a friend stuff. idk man an NBA Basketball is a 15-man roster right now, at worst, Bronny is taking up one roster slot. If it works out, great. If not, in a few years or less, he won’t be a Laker like Shaq’s kid, Pip’s kid, and GPII (I still remember them cutting him!). Feels like the media is making it more of a big deal than it is.
@@folkdude01 agreed. After all its the franchise's decision. Why are people mad like it effects them in some way? I think you take a chance on LBJ DNA with pick 55. Most 2nd rounders never even touch the court. Its really not a big deal
Glad lathan said it well about bronny thank you keep it real I have the same view
He's 6 "1 1/2 ...good luck
He'd have to play like Pat Beverly.
But Bronny said he was 6'4" before the draft combine
Ridiculous to talk about the AD trade and LeBron's era as a failure when they've won a championship.
That wasn’t a real championship.
@@blaketindle4703 yeah it was, they lost every advantage a normal team would have in that playoff run. stupid take
@@blaketindle4703 oh shit I didn't realize. My bad. Can't believe I fucked that up.
@@Aqvabeambubble championship isn’t respected. You can’t change that.
@@joeshmoe8134 its only disrespected by those who have no game knowledge. if you dont see why i cant help you lol
A felt hat in the summer time, that doesn’t fit, with a hoodie on, wearing it inside is certainly a choice
They got the AC on.
Jordan never made the playoffs with the Wizards, Kobe never made the playoffs his last four years, so I think LeBron is more than content that he'll never get another ring
The difference is that Lebron is still chasing Jordan and he doesn't get any closer to him without another ring
@@bikramarora1819 If he was that desperate to chase Jordan he wouldn't approve hiring JJ and drafting Bronny lol
Bronny couldn't risk waiting though because of everyone saying this draft is weak and next year's is great.
I love how Lakers fans just assume everyone wants to go there when they rarely sign any big name free agents.
They sign them - when they're already bringing fruit flies in the kitchen.
Lebum and KD played with 17 All Star players.
The #1 thing for me is that by Lebron forcing the situation, but ensuring his son got into the league, it is robbed of any specialness a Father/Son team up could have had.
It was a 2nd round pick, not that big a deal. What will make it a big deal is JJ being coach because JJ will ensure he gets play time which is why JJs there in the first place.
The lakers will turn into Bronny’s basketball camp with Lebron as the head counselor.
@@kevinc8955 Lebron still forced it to happen. The magic isn't there. It is entirely manufacture and thus the awe of finally seeing a true father/son combo in the NBA is stolen from us
Hes basically spot on, the lakers will go back to being inept
Reaves took a paycut to be a Laker and the Lakers used that to make him a better trade asset.
The Mavs won 3 more games than the Lakers in the regular season, and that's with Darvin not playing his best lineup for 20+ games. Settledown.
And then they got gentlemen swept by Denver in the first round.
@@shorewall And the only difference was the Mavs got lucky playoff matchups or they would've been gentlemen swept too, like they were in the finals.
Gotta admit, the Lakers are out-jetting the Jets. How dare they try and compete against the Jets' eternal desire to under any circumstances win the offseason?
People from modest backgrounds hate nepotism ? Wow I’m shocked 😮
6 Finals losses plus destroying the franchise with the 2nd most Finals all time.
I really need y’all basketball “fans” to stop narrowing shit down to finals losses and look at the situations players are in
Lakers fan here, Kobe destroyed the franchise before Bron did…
@@mattwonders5566 how’d yall win in the bubble
@@mattwonders5566 cap
@@brycetheoddball good drafting lol
Why didn’t LeBron take a pay cut??? Guys don’t wanna play with LeBron get it through your heads.
They don't want to be involved with the drama that comes with LeBron
0:12 Bill's smile I can't even🤣🤣🤣...that smile sums up the way Celtics fan's have been feeling since banner 18 and this Lakers dumpster fire is the cherry on the top!!!
Van Look So much like Kanye 😂😂😂
Instead of sacrificing salary, he added $2 million worthless in the form of Bronny. Lebron is some piece of work. We ripped the hell out of him for never sacrificing money for Chips like Jordan and two days later he's yapping about it. He watches RUclips like a hawk.
Bars from Van
Comparing Bronny to Ken Griffey Jr. is sacrilege. You could argue he was better his rookie year than his dad ever was at his peak.
which van clearly said, hes just saying how cool a father son duo could be on court
He literally only compared them playing with their fathers lol. How you gonna get triggered when right after, he mentions the vast difference in their talent?
Van lathan needs to be on this podcast so much more often than he is.
Lakers are about winning championships, not about being a carnival.
I can't take this guy seriously wearing a cowboy hat talking about the Lakers.
He cooked the lakers
@@edfa3706 No he didn't. The Lakers are still a successful franchise who generate ridiculous amounts of revenue and garner a significant amount of attention with one of the top five greatest players of all time on their roster. They now have a father and son team playing on their roster and will get so much media hype this season because of it. Klay can go to the Mavs and lose in the Conference Finals and that's cool. But the Lakers stay the Lakers and don't care what some cowboy wearing pundit has to say during his five minutes of fame riding Bill Simmons' coattails.
@@KK-pm7ud Lol, I'm glad the fans can be happy with how much money the Lakers are making, and how much attention they are getting, without winning anything. Share some of that money with the fans!
@@shorewall They've won for decades and have many of the top 20 players of all time with retired jerseys hanging from the rafters
they are right, the Lakers need defense. But LeBron basically stopped defending entirely after the bubble Championship. You cannot win anything with 4 defenders on the court
The NBA is gonna be on life support when Lebron retires. What will people talk about then?
Considering Lebron was recently involved in the lowest rated finals in NBA history, I think there's nowhere to go but up.
@@bikramarora1819 during the pandemic? Don’t be a mark. This finals had the lowest viewership this year and the Celtics were in it.
Imagine telling some kid that grew up in the projects or war torn country that a player that their better than 'deserved' to get drafted and that wasn't nepotism. Now imagine telling Tyrese Haliburton that some rookie deserves half what you have had to bust your ass in incentives to earn in your career and its guaranteed. I'm not going to root against the kid, but I'm going to give him the time of day he deserves which is none.
has Bills cheeks gotten rounder and bigger over time. It looks like a medical condition, hope he is okay.
lol brony not even college ready, he's so far far far from being a pro that made it so funny
as a Laker fan... Bronny vs Knecht... origin stories.. size. development. It's pretty glaring..