LeBron James said playing together with his son was not a priority. His and Bronny’s agent, Rich Paul said the Lakers star was not involved in the selection process. Bron’s NBA friends dismiss the nepotism claims. Yet it’s hard to completely separate the LeBron factor in the Lakers picking Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft. One of the honorary uncles of the James kids, Udonis Haslem called it well before it manifested. And despite the negative perception around Bronny’s career, UD doesn’t see anything wrong with how things went down.

On Patrick Beverley’s show, Haslem got blunt about his ‘nephew’ and the start of his career. “What I will say about Bronny is this man,” Haslem started. “I don’t knock what they did, I don’t knock what LeBron did.” 

Despite James’s and Paul’s claims to the contrary, UD implies that LeBron influenced the Lakers’ decision-making regarding his son. Yet he doesn’t think it’s wrong. Haslem alleges he’s seen underqualified people in different fields get by through nepotism a lot.

And he kind of illustrated the the least desirable position Lakers GM’ Rob Pelinka was in. “Now you don’t have 55 applications come across your desk of students that could been way more motherf*** qualified than him but you going to look out for your homeboy nephew,” is Haslem’s explicit way of putting it.

Since getting his Lakers colors and playing in the summer league, Bronny did address the commentary. And so far he’s handling the intense scrutiny well. As Haslem said, “Now it’s on Bronny.” And Uncle UD is consistent about his stance.

Udonis Haslem is the hype-uncle Bronny needs

Unlike all the critics, Bron’s Miami Heat teammate is buzzing with excitement at the thought of NBA’s first father-son duo on one team. Wearing his signature Tom Ford sunglasses on The OGs, Haslem claimed to have this prophetic vision before anyone. “Man, I seen that sh*t coming with these Tom Fords on! I ain’t have to be a rocket scientist!”

When everyone’s bearing ripping into Bronny’s summer league showing, Haslem though has only expressed one concern about it in the past. Like many of us, even UD thinks the locker room could get awkward as everyone will side-eye James Sr. with anything that has to do with Bronny. Bronny said he never gave thought about playing with his father and was focused on his own thing.

Besides, his unc knows LBJ’s way of operating and he’s sure he’d strike a balance between dad and teammate. And UD also knows, “there’s no other kid,” who’s been more prepared than Bronny James.