Skeptical of Bronny James’ Late Draft, Chris Broussard Accuses Rich Paul of Manipulation for LeBron’s Dream: “Nepotism for Sure”

The 2nd round of the NBA Draft saw Bronny James being selected by the Lakers as the 55 overall pick. While the franchise had an option in the 1st round to select him as the 17 pick, they went for ex-Volunteer Dalton Knecht instead. While the NBA world rejoiced at the father-son duo creating NBA history, it later became known that the process of making this a reality allegedly involved some behind-the-scenes ‘manipulation’. It became an issue that a longtime radio host wanted to share his opinions on.

A few hours ago, Chris Broussard on ‘The Odd Couple’ re-highlighted to the viewers that LeBron and Bronny’s agent, Rich Paul, was reportedly “calling and texting” the GMs of several NBA franchises, ‘threatening’ to send the young player to Australia if any of them tried to get to him before the Lakers. Despite the team’s shooting guard, Austin Reaves, also being acquired via the same method, Paul’s actions are getting more coverage now due to who Bronny is.

Broussard showcased the fact that the agent engaged in manipulation, but made it clear that he had no objection. “I’m not mad at Rich Paul. If you’ve got the power, if you’ve got the juice, use it,” said the host. “It’s nepotism, for sure. I mean, I don’t know that Bronny James gets drafted if his dad isn’t LeBron James.” To add to his viewpoint, Broussard highlighted other examples of individuals within the NBA field who have benefited because of their father. From Denver Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman to the same team’s head coach Michael Malone, cases of nepotism have allegedly been seen in the NBA for quite some time now.

Therefore, given this precedent, combined with his own belief that it is rare for African Americans to get this type of influence, Chris was all in support of Rich Paul making some alleged not-so-pure attempts to keep Bronny from heading anywhere else but the Lakers.

NBA Insider was upset at Rich Paul for letting Bronny have “so little control over his own life”

Chris Broussard made it clear that, in his eyes, Rich Paul’s alleged actions were not the worst. After all, the high-profile agent may not be the first one to do so, and he certainly may not be the last. However, this same feeling was not something felt by the NBA world as a whole. Amongst them was insider Anthony F. Irwin. He recently made headlines for reportedly criticizing Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski for not citing their sources after claims that JJ Redick’s head coach confirmation was not a done deal. Now, he has returned to criticize Rich Paul’s reported move.

At the same time, he sympathized with Bronny James for being the main crux of decisions that may or may not be to his liking. “I’m gonna be honest, it’s pretty sad to see a kid seem to have so little control over his own life,” Irwin wrote on X. “Yeah, he has some great opportunities in front of him as a result of those making decisions for him, but this has been a pretty rough watch from afar.” Irwin continued to hold on to his viewpoint, even as some fans took a shot at him for criticizing Rich Paul for doing his job.

Responding to one social media user, he replied, “This isn’t about Rich Paul. This is about Bronny. It’s all so contrived and we never get to hear from him whether it’s something he actually wants.” The 19-year-old has never been explicitly clear about his choice of team. In interviews, he has only claimed that he wants to be known by his own name, and not just as “LeBron James’ son.”

At the same time, Paul has explicitly stated that he wants to find a good “fit” for Bronny, no matter which team it may be. Therefore, it is hard to assume that Rich Paul is working against his young client’s personal interests. What do you think?

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.