Bronny James lived a lifelong dream last month when he heard his name called during the NBA Draft.
The 19-year-old was the 55th selection in the draft, but the circumstances surrounding it have led to negative chatter.
Of course, his father is LeBron James, and his Los Angeles Lakers drafted his son.
The talks of a power trip and nepotism have been running rampant since that day, but two brothers, who will soon play against one another in the NBA, are brushing all the negativity to the side.
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Los Angeles Laker guard Bronny James Jr. drives the ball against the Houston Rockets during a summer league game on Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
“I think there’s gonna be negativity regardless of who you are. There’s always going to be trolls on the internet trying to take you down no matter what,” incoming rookie Cody Williams said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. “(Jayson) Tatum just won a championship and people are still saying he’s the most overrated player. People are still gonna try to do whatever to tear him down.
“I think it’s just an incredible moment – a son and a dad are both talented enough to play in the best league in the world. It’s not like you get there because you suck,” he continued. “Both of them are good, they both deserve to be there. Special moment they’re sharing.”
Williams’ older brother is Oklahoma City Thunder rising star Jalen, who is entering his third season in the NBA.
Cody Williams and Jalen Williams pose for a photo during the NBA Draft on June 26, 2024, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. (Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images)
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The two brothers think alike, and Jalen himself says he can’t understand why people can’t look at history “for what it is” – LeBron and Bronny are the first active father-son duo in NBA history.
“You can’t take anything away from anybody that gets into the NBA. This is one of those things where time will tell. I, personally, don’t know how people can’t be excited for that,” Jalen says. “I think that’s one of those things where that’ll be really cool to do. People don’t take it for what it is.
“Bron, playing for as long as he has, playing up until August almost every year, to do that for 20-plus years and wait out until his son gets the opportunity to play on the same exact team as him, I think people downplay that, and that’s just the nature of our sport. Everyone has a voice on social media now, so everybody’s gonna have an opinion, but just from the outside looking in, that’s an extreme accomplishment on both ends. Just one of those things I can’t help but to admire.”
Bronny James and Bryce James present LeBron James with the Best Record-Breaking Performance award onstage during ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 12, 2023, in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
