Now let's go to Philadelphia, where Bronnie James last night played his most minutes by far in an NBA game last night, as the Lakers lost to the seventy six Ers one eighteen to one oh four. Bronnie was held scoreless in fifteen minutes and struggled guarding Sixers star Tyrese MAXI.
Before I get to my.
Thoughts, please take a listen to coach JJ Reddick and what he had to say about Bronnie's performance last night.
Take listen.
I maybe put him in a tough spot, you know, flying up yesterday and you know, nationally televise game and Philly all that stuff. It's you know, he didn't play well, but he's been playing great, you know, in the State Ready games, and he's been playing great in the g you know.
I was on First Take My Day job on ESPN earlier this morning. I spoke about this and I felt the need to elaborate even further because a couple of people text me and pissed me off, and they know who they are, people close to lebron James talking to me about questioning him as a father. Come on, y'all, I mean, it's gotten to a point where this Lebron sensitivity is just beyond the pale. You call him the second best player in the history of the game. You're
insulting him because you said he's not the goat. You're saying that at age forty, we've never seen anybody do what he does, but pointing out at times how he may not have hustled back on defense in a key pivotal moment, and that's a problem. You give him all the praise in the world when he drops forty, but he has a bad night and you say he had a bad night and you're hating.
It's ridiculous.
But never before has it been more ridiculous than it is right now, because the reality is is that we got to be real about what we're seeing when we talk about Bronnie James. I am not a person that had a problem with Bronnie James being on the court for the season opener with Lebron James. That was a phenomenal moment to see a father on the court with his son who has NBA aspirations playing together for the first time in NBA history. The Griffi's in baseball, King
Griffy Senior and Junior were in attendance for it. It was a special moment. My position has always been that should have been the only moment we saw Bronnie James in the Lakers uniform this season. Because he's not ready. I'm not here to tell you that he won't be ready. I'm not here to tell you that he won't be an NBA player. I'm not here to tell you that he should give up his dreams and his aspirations. I think the kids got potential. I think the kid will
be in the NBA one day. I watched him in the G League doing this thing. I think he's gonna be fine eventually. But that's not the case yet. And because it's not the case yet, and then you see some of these numbers, I do find myself looking at Lebron James instead of Bronnie James.
Because Lebron is the basketball savant.
Lebron is one of the top two greatest players in the history of the game. Lebron has got forgotten more basketball than most people would know. So no matter what we think about Bronni, he knows more. But you see what you see. Bronnie James has played in thirteen NBA games. Ladies and gentlemen, He's averaging zero point three points, zero
point three assist, and zero point four rebounds. He shot one for sixteen from the field in his NBA career, an zero for seven from three point range, and he's playing in the first quarter.
Of an NBA game, really, and.
Everybody wants to look at it, and Lebron has nothing to do with that. That's yeah, he didn't tell JJ Reddick to put him in the game. I get all that, but come on, I'm not being cruel to Bronnie. I'm I'm looking out. Do you want it this way?
Lebron? Do you want it this way? Rich Paul? Do you want it this way?
He can't go into the G League and average twenty twenty five and stay there until he's ready because he's Lebron's son, you know how they're gonna judge him. And before anybody wants to jump on me, remember I never saw Bronnie James play until he showed up in the NBA and the G League.
I refused to watch him.
Because if I watched him, I would have to talk about him, and I didn't want to talk about Lebron James soon because I thought it was so unfair to the kid.
He's such a wonderful kid, wonderful family.
I don't want to hear me talking about questioning Lebron james fatherhood Lebron. How many times do I have to rave about Lebron James On ESPN? I put up a ticker great father, great husband, great philanthropians, great businessman, great actor, great producer, great director.
Great great great great.
How many times have I said that, I'm simply saying, Yo, he's not ready yet, And to put him out there getting him exposed to that.
It's really hard to watch.
When Kobe Bryant was a rookie and shot those airballs in that close out playoff game against the Utah Jazz, people were talking about he wasn't ready for the moment,
and I thought it was unconscidable. What coach Del Harris at the time did it to him by throwing him to the wolves because he got frustrated because Kobe kept talking about how he's gonna end up being the greatest ever, because he was chasing Jordan, and they got tired of here in his mouth and his bravado, and he threw them to the wolves very unfairly, which I think is something that ultimately ruined Del Harris because he shouldn't have done that. But nobody questioned whether or not Kobe Bryant
belonged to the NBA. Nobody questioned that. With Brownie James, they're questioning it because there's no collegiate career to speak of, because he had the health issue and never really did anything at USC in his only year there.
And he ends up getting drafted fifty fifth overall.
And I don't care about the money that he's gonna end up making, like he'll end up making over a span of a couple of years eight million, while the other fifty fifth pick from the year before the year before that probably made about eight hundred thous.
The hell with that.
Lebron James is underpaid. Lebron James is underpaid. He should get paid much more than he's getting paid.
In any money.
That he could get for his son, he could get for Rich Paul, he could get for anybody, he should get because he is underpaid, Well, what he means to the NBA. I don't care about the money. I care about what the kid is being exposed to with Lebron James mystique hovering over him. Zero point three points, zero point three assists, zero point four rebounds, one for sixteen, shooting over all zero for seven from three point range thirteen games.
There are millions of.
Kids out there starving to play in an NBA game that are more qualified than his status show. And what I'm saying is, if you see a son being exposed to things they may not be ready for, when do you wrap your arms around them and say, all right now, now it's not the time. I used a boxing analogy on First Take earlier this day, and I used Marvis Fraser, the son of Joe Fraser.
Go back and look at the highlights.
He went into the ring against heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, who had one of the best jabs and one of the best right hands in boxing history. And I remember Larry Holmes being interviewed and saying, ain't no kid with ten damn fights beating me, That's what he said. And then went in there and beat him in the first round.
Remember he dropped them. And then remember Fraser get up and if you remember the fight, ladies and gentlemen, hit him with a right and wave the referee on hit him the right and waved the referee to come and stop and fight. Hit him again, wave the referee to stop the fight because he knew the kid didn't belonging to ring with him.
And you know who took the hits for that.
Joe Frasier, former heavyweight champion of the world, one of the great fighters in history. Had no business putting his son at that early stage in the squared circle with Larry Holmes.
Look it up.
That's all I'm saying with Lebron the best of intentions, wonderful father by all accounts. I'm not casting any aspersions on him. I'm saying, that's your son, bro. You know the game of basketball. He ain't ready yet. Why put him in that position? You had your moment being on the court with him. Now, that kid's gotta go earn his stripes, which I believe he will do watching him in the G League. Can't do this, can't continue to let us see what we've been seeing.
And I'm wrong.
I'm questioning him as a father because I'm saying, YO, wrap your arms around him and say not now, not just yet. That's questioning somebody's fatherhood, you see. That's why ladies and gentlemen, contrary to what people believe, I have a great relationship with a lot of NBA players.
You don't have to know that. I know that.
I know who talks to me, I know who gives me information, I know who reaches out to me.
There's plenty of players. Some of the stars don't, and I could give less than a shit.
Because we've devolved to a point where literally trying to be constructive and helpful is considered hating. They adopted, their hanging runs adopted, and you're the villain for pointing out the obvious.
I'm tired of that sensitive shit. It drives me nuts.
We gotta preface every comment we make with a bunch of platitudes and lauda bulls about everything. I mean, damn, what do we gotta do do their laundry before we say something.
We gotta sit there and give them a bubble bath. Before we sat they played like shit. I mean, come on, it's gotta stop.
I mean, no disrespect whatsoever to Lebron on this issue. I would never do that to any player, any athlete. I'm saying, we all see what's happening with your son right now.
It's kind of hard to watch.
Not that it won't change, not that it won't get better, but it's not there yet.
You could do something about that. Why haven't you. That's all I mean, no disrespect, none, That's all I'm saying.
Staying in the NBA, where, according to ESPN Shan Sharania, the Sacrament of Kings expected to open talks for a potential the Aaron Fox trade. The King's All Star guard has one year left on his contract before he hits free agency in the summer of twenty twenty six. San Antonio Spurs are apparently the top destination on his list
as a potential landing spot. I wish he could go to the Lakers personally, I know Anthony Davis wants a five so he can go back to his NAT position at the four d. Aaron Fox has average at least twenty five points over the last three years.
He's an All Star. He's an All Star caliber player.
He's also the only individual that I've ever gotten into an argument with Magic Johnson about in twenty five years.
The Aaron Fox is that dude.
I implored Magic Johnson to draft that kid number two overall instead of a Lonzo Ball. I said, Lonzo Ball is a business decision. De Aaron Fox is a basketball decision. I saw what that brother did in the NCAA Tournament to Lonzo. I saw that he was a better player than Lonzo. I think, you got to keep that kid, you got to get him.
And they passed because Lonzo ball, Chino Hills, box Office, all of that.
No knock against Lonzo because I hope he gets healthy and I believe in the brother.
But d Aaron Fox is Di Aaron Fox.
However, his wife and what I'm told is from San Antonio obviously playing with Victim when Meenyonna the best defensive player in the NBA as far as I'm concerned right now and will soon be the best player in the world at seven five with his skill set, who knows what's down the pipe for them, They've got it like nine picks. You get the Anon Fox women Vianna could be special. So I understand that Houston, Miami, New Orleans, other teams like that are in the mix.
I wouldn't mind seeing the Aaron Fox in Miami either.
But in the end, what it really really comes down to is that I really wish he was with Anthony Davison. Lebron James in Los Angeles ain't gonna happen at all, likely so they don't have the assets to get them, but it would be nice