This season marks a unique time in the NBA, as a father-son duo plays not only simultaneously but also on the same team. It is quite an achievement for a basketball player to maintain a high level of performance and remain in the league long enough to play alongside his son. Simply being in the league at 40 years old is rare, and it is even more unprecedented to be as dominant as LeBron James continues to be. It’s never happened before. LeBron’s continued exceptional skill and reputation have certainly influenced his son’s draft selection, and we can be honest about that. If Bronny James were Bronny Jones, he likely would be in college right now.
I’m old enough to recall Ken Griffey Jr. playing with his father, though it was a much different scenario. Baseball allows players to compete successfully into their 40s more often than an athletically demanding sport like basketball. We have seen nearly 50-year-olds still competing in baseball. Ken Griffey Sr. had a great career, being a three-time All-Star and even the season he played with his son was maintaining a .300 batting average in 156 at-bats as a reserve when Seattle traded for him to pair him with his son.
That trade was driven more by the son’s talent. Inspired by the move, Griffey Sr. found new life, batting .377 in 21 games and 77 at-bats after the trade (only batted .206 prior). He played one more season, achieving a respectable .282 average in 85 at-bats, as well. That’s one undervalued aspect of Bronny being drafted is the extra motivation for LeBron, as well as the media attention for the Lakers and the NBA.
The father-son duo of LeBron and Bronny James playing on the same NBA team is a remarkable and unprecedented event in basketball history. While some may cry nepotism, and bemoan how undeserving Bronny James is, this pairing will undoubtedly draw significant attention to the league and their story. People who might not typically follow the NBA will likely check in to see how this unique situation unfolds, making it an overall positive for the NBA in my opinion. Of course if Bronny is getting minutes he doesn’t deserve and performing very poorly it could turn sour quick, but I wouldn’t expect him to play any role like that.
Bronny will undoubtedly face immense pressure and scrutiny, but the expectations for him are still quite low I believe from most. If he can play for three or four years on his contract and avoid being one of the worst ten players in NBA history which seems achievable, that would be considered a successful career to me. The real untalked about value in this situation is that it keeps the NBA exciting for LeBron, maintaining his motivation to continue playing. This extended motivation and involvement from LeBron benefits all NBA fans, making this situation highly positive overall. Putting him in the GLeague most of the season, or in garbage time is a small price for this story and ancillary benefits both for the Lakers and the league.
