LOS ANGELES — It’s historical, it’s heartwarming, it’s the brightest of headlines for a franchise desperately in need of some good news. But it’s not very smart. And, for two of the main people involved, it’s not very fair Thus a wet blanket should be tossed over the Lakers’ engineering of the most celebrated 55th overall pick in NBA draft history.
Yeah, they did it, of course they did it, they drafted an untested 19-year-old kid named Bronny James Thursday to unite him with his father LeBron in becoming the NBA’s first father-son duo. They did it even though Bronny was ignored by virtually every other NBA team with a chance to draft him. They did it even though Bronny struggled last season for USC in his return from a cardiac arrest episode that cost him five months.
They did it even though most experts agreed that his game — five points, three rebounds and two assists per appearance for the Trojans — could have used at least another year of college tutoring. They did it seemingly for the reason they do a lot of things — to keep their superstar happy. LeBron had professed a desire to play with his son, LeBron can opt out of his contract this summer, they probably figured LeBron needed to be kept satisfied at all costs.
But this is seemingly a high price to pay. Granted, the greatest fee will not come from the Lakers, who, let’s face it, weren’t going to get a star with the 55th pick anyway. This was a no-lose selection that, personnel-wise, cost the.