After months of rampant speculation, it is now confirmed! Bronny James will be an official part of the NBA through the Lakers. While many young players have chosen to follow in their father’s footsteps, with the Splash Brothers being prominent examples, this is the first time that a father-son duo will be on the same team in a regular season. That is if LeBron James chooses to take his extension. Certain expectations will need to be met, and the new HC JJ Redick, and GM Rob Pelinka, will be there to ensure that the same occurs.

During a recent Q&A session, Rob Pelinka highlighted the changing tide that the franchise will go through in light of Bronny James’ draft. Praising the young athlete for possessing “high character” and “extraordinary work ethic”, the GM believed that the process of developing him would come easily. “I know JJ Redick and his staff are already putting the plan around Bronny, and how they want to develop him into an elite two-way player,” said Pelinka.

“He’s 19 years old, so everyone’s gotta be patient, but the foundations are there for him to be an important player for years to come”. Bronny James will be entering the NBA with a bit of doubt following his path. This is because, during the 25 games he played for the University of South Carolina, the aspiring pro could only secure an average score of 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists to his name. Bronny also had a cardiac arrest, which placed his future health situation under a microscope.

At the same time, JJ Redick, who has no prior coach experience to his name, also has a lot of things to prove to the basketball world during the upcoming season. As highlighted by former Boston Celtics champion Paul Pierce, taking in both Redick and James Jr isn’t “really about a championship no more. This is about putting on a good show… This sound like a script to me…”.

If both the player and head coach work together, then this perception can be changed for the better.

Stephen A. Smith worries about JJ Redick’s “patience” with his past after Bronny James’ draft

Just as Bronny James was taken in as the 55 overall pick an outpour of reactions started to come in. Amongst the people making their voices heard was renowned Stephen A. Smith and while he had earlier highlighted his viewpoint that Bronny would be a better fit for the Sixers or the Nuggets, he was still glad to see the father-son duo create history. However, this team-up made him more worried about JJ Redick. Having worked as analysts on the same network, Smith believes Bronny’s acquisition may affect him.

“The person we need to be worried about is JJ Redick,” said the 56-year-old. “He’s not the most patient dude in the world when it comes to dealing with the media and the same question over and over and over again. I think we need to watch that, but other than that we’re good.” He seemed to be referring to the bugging that JJ will face with questions about Bronny and LeBron James continuously. Knowing how people get on his “last damn nerves”, the ex-colleague only wished that the HC be more careful going forward.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about the Lakers legend’s infamous feud with the late Kobe Bryant.