The Lakers Feel Like a Mess With Van Lathan Jr. | The Bill Simmons Podcast

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Van Lathan Jr. to discuss why it feels like nobody wants to play for the Lakers and nepotism with Bronny James.
For more from The Ringer:
Shop: theringer.com/shop
Website: theringer.com
Twitter: / ringer
Facebook: / ringer
Instagram: / ringer

[@melvinwright4184]

Players will never say it out loud, but they saw what happened with Westbrook when he became a Laker and decided that they want no part in this circus. They don't wanna sign up to be a scapegoat

[@dparks2856]

Westbrook played like trash and after he left

[@KK-pm7ud]

That's probably the first thing the Mavs told Klay when they saw him

[@dreamcage1801]

I wouldn’t want to either. No one wants to deal with the bullshit all together. Period!

[@lukemcnabb_1]

Don’t forget the Frank Vogel situation too, no coach or player wants to deal with this organisation

[@swampduck2609]

Playing with Bron is more trouble than it’s worth

[@alexvoron5295]

Thank you Van Lathan Jr. for clearly articulating this fellow Lakers fan thoughts.

[@CheepsAhoy69]

Sounds kinda entitled tbh, like relying on the history and the glamor of the lakers to build your team for you instead of just making smart and controlled basketball decisions. When he brought up the Celtics payroll how are they able to pay all these players makes no sense, they traded for all the pieces surrounding two stars they drafted and made a well constructed team. Trading for em gets their bird rights so they can go over the cap as much as they want to retain em

[@rillaaa5740]

You paid a 40 Year old the max drafted his son and hired an ex-player he podcasts with as the head coach who's really running the organization it's ridiculous

[@Mar-t6n]

Dude you haven’t even seen it in action 😂

[@marcusgarvey6231]

These aren’t the baseball decisions of a serious contender. This is marketing and merchandising that will profit J Buss millions (billion?) and R Paul of course.

[@stefanoviczeljkors]

​@@marcusgarvey6231 NBA is a business. Lakers are not a non-profit organization. Most of the owners are content making a lot of money every year without competing for the title.

[@shane1899]

​@Mar-t6n funny i didn't need to see bron + westbrook to play to know that wouldn't work either

[@jamesmiller5331]

And they threw in the Dan Hurley thing at the end to make it look like LeBron isn't running the whole thing lmaooo

[@mgzig8]

That unintentional smile was hilarious

[@gabdex83]

So genuine couldn't hide it

[@cuegordon1178]

Priceless!!!!! He hate the Lakers badly 🤣😂

[@codyjackson8884]

"I've never been a fan of stepping over somebody who's scrapping for it because of who your pops is, and I'm not gonna start now." I loved that.

[@TrustTheProcess34]

Need more Van. Currently my favorite BS guest. Him + Russillo should do a weekly pod together

[@KK-pm7ud]

Definitely a BS guest

[@mattc5647]

Nah, he tokeny. They bring him on to talk about rap. Why they talking about these boring immature rap beefs?

[@HKim0072]

There are some really funny bits when Van and Russillo pod together in the past.

[@Bran-Da-Don]

I think the original plan was for Bronny to go to USC and either ball out or have an above average season which would've made him a legitimate 1st round pick (in a weak draft) to a late 1st round team (a playoff team). LeBron would then join this playoff team as a way to play with his son but also sneak in a chance to win a ring without pissing off the Lakers fanbase and being called a traitor. The concensus would've been "He wanted to play with his son, we understand" and LeBron avoids the criticism. Fate intervened with Bronny's cardiac arrest and subsequent poor freshman season. It fucked up the plan and they had to pivot into this current strategy. Unfortunately there was no way to pull it off without it looking obvious.

[@kw0017]

The thing i don't understand is Bronny has had every advantage his whole life to have the best of everything to learn and train to make the NBA.... and he isn't better than so many young men who haven't had as much assistance. So how does that mean he has all this untaped potential? Not like when he gets to the NBA, the training, coaching, diet all that stuff is going to help him go to the next level like it will other guys who are already better than him.

[@thebyrd220]

You’re correct and it’s them who are trying to gaslight us all lol

[@TheChrisf95]

Solid point. Truth is: he’s not that good. I have a friend that goes to Stanford and watched him play in person against them last December I think, and he said he was getting cooked-by some nerds basically 😂

[@marcusgarvey6231]

The circus act will be Crypto games only and bronny will check in for 30-60-90 seconds with Daddy on the floor to make history and sell jerseys-t shirts

[@vlada]

Shaq, MJ, Pippens sons too. It's very rare that legendary players sons (in many sports) can ever get out the legend shadow. At least those three never put a target on their kids back. Wade's son was playing pickup with pro players when he was a teen,...

[@MrOctober44]

Mostly just not having the talent. As Tim Hardaway explained about his son, the sons can never be as hungry or have the drive because they grew up rich.

[@scarletspider1240]

No one hates Brony for being drafted, they hate his dad for forcing it to happen.

[@pcharl01]

I'm not a LeBron fan. I did hate him talking about it so much after regretting naming him Jr. To be real, I dislike the memos that Rich Paul has leaked out.

[@streettoughfighting]

That and now trying to lie and say he earned his eat there and absolutely deserves his contract. Like bro just own it cause we all saw what you’ve been doing and saying. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@gffsgcc]

i feel like pelinka ultimately let it happen jeanie green lights lebron out in public with shoulder hugs. draymond has more of an emotional connection with the warriors front office that's why he's still there and klay is not.

[@DJM3KS]

Why does it bother people that aren’t Laker fans? Get a life seriously

[@jasonhoppe781]

Because it’s suppose to be about competition. They already talking about paying him a guaranteed contract. I’m a Laker fan and it’s sad to see. Like Lavar Ball did whatever he could to get his kids in the spotlight but they EARNED the draft spot!

[@murilogabrielli6369]

There are two reasons why he entered the draft this year. First, there were no absolute guarantees that LBJ would be around next year to anchor him. Second, and most important. Next year's class is just more loaded, there would be more competition.

[@je5406]

Third. The more he plays the greater chance he gets exposed. Last season Bronny's team was able to point to the medical issue as a reason for his meager 4.8ppg.

[@Earl_E_Burd]

They gonna handle him with kiddie gloves and use his heart as an excuse out of the league when he isn't able to perform, and now he is signed to a 3-4 year contract.

[@Christian-eq6pq]

@@je5406 BINGO! This was the answer we were looking for!

[@hwinoree2257]

You make a fair point, but the criticism is not aimed at Bronny being drafted. The criticism is the narrative that he earned it, that he deserved it.

[@murilogabrielli6369]

I know that. But towards the end of the videos they ask themselves why did Bronny not opt to stay one more year in college, where it would be easier to develop than in the NBA. This is what I was addressing.

[@kennyshin5262]

You try to speak up and tell Bronny to pick up his slack and you will never get a pass thrown your way ever again or traded away to the shadow realm. Players don’t want to get involved in a potentially toxic environment.

[@alexlol3260]

Bron has all his hooks in the Lakers franchise now lol, he got his bag again and his son drafted. and clearly Rich Paul has some say in their FO decisions aswell, what a mess

[@djj3357]

The Lakers are unserious! Appreciate your no-nonsense view. Our franchise is a gutter ball! 💜💛

[@colonialstraits1069]

It’s not just the Lakers. The NBA is fully on board and trying to find any gimmick that might get clicks. It’s an unserious league.

[@poorchris]

Literally no one hates Bronny. Hes just a kid trying his best. People hate his fake, contrived, inauthentic clown of a father.

[@hwinoree2257]

preach

[@ScrausScrauas]

The Lakers biggest problem is that the ownership has no comfort with stepping out from the franchise’s past and empowering a smart FO, not just Kobe’s Former Agent. 1. The team overreacted to losing in the ‘21 first round after winning a title and being a great team until AD and then Bron both went down after an incredibly short offseason. Trading too many good players for Russ who just didn’t fit and was aging. 2. Losing two postseasons of AD to injury is just a terrible break. 3. Bron, while still being great (and unparalleled for his age) is no longer a top 10 player thru a season and playoffs. And in the past, role players always had to play under the weight of playing for Bron’s Legacy but that was offset because Bron was playing at a GOAT level before. Now those same role players still have to play under the Bron weight (and Laker weight) but Bron isn’t a GOAT anymore at 40, just “merely” a top 15-20 player atp.

[@johamandcheese899]

Yep. Jeannie needs to get a real GM/FO like Presti in OKC and empower them to make decisions and stop this "family run" business BS that also involve the Rambis shadow GM decisions in the background. Just be a owner Jeannie and let real compentent people run the basketball part of the business.

[@nuggz720]

He says he's taking less money but none of those people were coming to LA so he's a winner winner

[@timothyfrederick9591]

Van mirrors my thoughts on the nepotism.Very well put.

[@scarletspider1240]

Players aren’t stupid…they’ve seen how this era of the Lakers has gone and they ain’t getting in the middle of that freakin circus. Not only do you have to be prepared to be blamed by LeFraud for the team failing…now there’s the added element of what’s gonna happen if you do or say the wrong thing to Bronny? No thanks.

[@2WheelsGood]

Well said Van. I ain't rooting for the rich kid that jumped spots because of their dad. No ill will, just not something i'll be actively doing.

[@makempay8710]

What is so cool about seeing a father play with his son in a league that the son did not belong or earn his spot to be in said league

[@dansweeney2789]

The Buss ownership thinks they deserved the Laker ownership and they are all aboard for others doing the same thing.

[@davidvillela7476]

Real lakers fans can't stand anymore of this circus

[@Earl_E_Burd]

New stadium in Inglewood if real lakers fans wanted to make a statement

[@fantasyEXX]

​@@Earl_E_BurdI'd rather watch wnba than ever be a clippers fan

[@aricrudd6579]

Be real, most “real” Lakers fans are just Kobe fans. Did any of you even care when the Lakers were completely irrelevant in the years between Kobe and LeBron?

[@davidvillela7476]

@@aricrudd6579 im here since 1990 só just chill bronsexual

[@christianpaul-cp6746]

@@aricrudd6579to us real Laker fans they’re always relevant.

[@Biz613]

Two real housewives of LA are running the Lakers. Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis 😂 no one is surprised at the incompetency.

[@mymanuel187]

And they are down to have a 3 some with the team star

[@richardspidel3100]

Players don't want to play with the circus that is Lebron and the Lakers.

[@markmittens]

Jordan's kids for example work with Jordan brand, makes perfect sense, he did not force his kids into being professional basketball players. Nepotism is rampant everywhere but this is another level.

[@Sethsters]

I commend Hurley for resisting the temptation and making the smart decision to avoid this ticking time-bomb of a franchise. Much better opportunities will come around if he just waits. Hell, San Antonio may be looking for a coach in the next few years and who wouldn’t want that job?

[@jesses5465]

In a few years from now this era of the Lakers will be looked on upon as a weird reality show.

[@TenaciousAC]

Since the Lakers got LeBron, they’ve only existed for his needs and his needs alone. The good will marketing of ‘Join The Lakers’/‘Play With LeBron’ just isn’t there right now, and might actually be a broader career detriment after the experience. It would be interesting to do a snapshot of every player and coach who came & went AFTER LeBron arrived and see if their value was thrown through the floor after being cast aside by LeBron and Lakers Management. Did people join the Lakers to be elevated (by association) only to have their value destroyed on the way out ?

[@shorewall]

That's every Lebron team. He is a narcissist.

[@scottbignell]

Nice to hear someone calling out nepotism.

[@EdeDizon]

You mean like Thanasis and Giannis in Milwaukee?

[@cyberpunk6441]

@@EdeDizon False equivalence, Giannis didn't force Milwaukee to draft his brother in his second season. He was drafted by NY and develop in the euro league for a few years and avg 16.7 pts and 7 RB. Yes Thanasis sucks but he still put up good numbers to justify signing him.

[@Earl_E_Burd]

Also Thanasis has the size and strength of a professional athlete. If you gonna be Bronny-sized you better have elite skills.

[@EdeDizon]

@cyberpunk6441 and what exactly is Thanasis doing in the league now other than being a cheerleader?

[@cyberpunk6441]

@@EdeDizon Just because someone doesn't get playing time doesn't make them qualified to be in the league. Every team in the league has players that don't get playing time. Second point just because some one underperformed at the professional level doesn't mean it's ok for someone underperforming at the college level to get a guaranteed contract.

[@Toneloc1818]

Jeanie is a horrible owner / Governor of the lakers.

[@scarletspider1240]

Just say owner…there’s nothing wrong with it.

[@KK-pm7ud]

She's a good owner. Shut up.

[@jackharrington697]

@@KK-pm7ud 😂😂😂😂 She is a worse then Jim Buss

[@kw0017]

​@@KK-pm7ud she's one of the worst owners in professional sports

[@williestyle35]

​@@jackharrington697 my dog is a better Governor prospect for the Lakers than Jim Buss...

[@Tsunami_Hawk]

Bronny just added 6 years to some poor kids journey to the league

[@ajbianchi85]

The Lakers and Lebron deserve each other

[@ben.tanner]

Having recently watched the Saving Private Ryan Rewatchables episode.... Bronny didn't "earn it"

[@streettoughfighting]

The only thing I hate about the nepobronny pick is that they now trying to lie and say he earned it and did it all on his own, like seriously y’all gonna try to gaslight America? Lebron trying to pull a trump and lie his way past the obvious truth. 🤣

[@hwinoree2257]

Spot on.

[@connorphillips8116]

Anyone who said its the 55th pick it doesn't matter has to completely change their tune now. Its one thing to draft him when really his talent doesn't place him viably in that conversation, but he isn't on a two year deal or two way. They guaranteed 4 years for 7 million. Thats completely unheard of full stop. I really don't mean to throw shade on Bronny. He is a kid trying to navigate a dream in an immense shadow. Im sure thats a complex reality and I have empathy for that. But from a franchise POV, Klutch and Lebrons stature this is an embarrassment with fingerprints of a pattern of delusions. For me this really does affect LBJ's stature if only as a demonstration of maybe his biggest flaw. Obsessively dictating terms and decisions to his own detriment. Consistent questionable talent around him has often been from his own doing.

[@nabetse1999]

It’s not unheard of and it’s the freaking league minimum. Who cares

[@EdeDizon]

Also why is this a big deal when Thanasis taking up a real roster spot in Milwuakee when they're struggling.

[@tdup191]

​@@EdeDizon Thanasis wasn't drafted by the Bucks and it was after Giannis 1st season so he wasn't drafted as a ploy to recruit Giannis either. If Bronny was drafted by another team and signed to play with Bron years down the line this wouldn't be a big deal but in this current situation Bronny is only in the league because his dad wants to add the narrative of him playing with his son to his flawed resume 😂

[@roycedot]

LeGM doesn’t know how to build a team. It’s not a blame thing. Like Bill said - bargain bin players- Prince, Reddish, Rui

[@user-gg2lq5jo2s]

That last statement summed it all up

[@ChrisSmoovefan]

Van should've brought up nephew Kyle and Bill's daughter having a podcast on the Ringer, see what his reaction was lmao

[@rhyshilders]

I remember all the platitudes for Jeanie Buss being a great boss for the Lakers, but she’s been every bit as inept as her brother (the one she fired). How they accidentally won a title in the bubble is beyond me.

[@jamesmay9955]

No One wants to play with Lebron and be part of the circus..

[@edgardoMurnia]

such a circus and yet everyone gets paid... EVERYONE Hachimura. Reaves. Vanderbilt. Caruso. KPC. Kuzma. I can go on and on. Lol.

[@marcodraven9778]

And be the fall guy too.

[@edgardoMurnia]

@@marcodraven9778 Yeah, because usually teams blame their superstars... Like for example. The Celtics just traded Tatum after his terrible 2022 Finals. Moronx shouldn't be allowed to speak

[@tdup191]

​@@edgardoMurnia lol your king never gets the blame for losing from the media, his teammates do and end up on trading block every 6 months even tho he is the common denominator

[@edgardoMurnia]

@@tdup191 So you mean that the Chicago Buills should've traded Jordan through the 80's when they were losing all the time? Your are a great basketball mind. And yes, he does gets blamed all the time by the media... and also he gets defended all the time. That doesn't mean a team would trade him as they wouldn't trade AD. BEcause that would be stupid. For you, normal, but for normal people, stupid

[@beachrelax9702]

Love Van so much. Why don't we as Lakers fans ever get to talk about trading AD? It has seemed like the most obvious move for me for years now.

[@lbo9134]

Black hoodie with the matching cowboy hat is spectacular.

[@PureBleachFilms]

JJ won’t make it 3 seasons

[@jackharrington697]

He will get fired in 2 years

[@marcodraven9778]

Yeah fired in 2, paid for 2 more not coaching like Vogel & Ham. It's how Lakers like to throw away $$$.

[@jasonlevesque6340]

I love how Lakers fans just assume everyone wants to go there when they rarely sign any big name free agents.

[@Earl_E_Burd]

They sign them - when they're already bringing fruit flies in the kitchen.

[@awsomealex24]

by the end of this conversation, it was very much a "Kobe would never" difference in approach to basketball the sport you play at the highest lever. Kobe went down with his ship, LeBron has created holes while masquerading as giving the people the opportunity to plug the holes because a great player like him is worth plugging up a leaky boat for.

[@veronicamorton9096]

❤❤❤ it bill..im like that to when they talk about the SHEEP 🐑 and the LAKERETTS 😂😂😂😂😂

[@aaronreyes-t7k]

Thank you UAW 💖😘

[@MistaF]

as a Laker fan... Bronny vs Knecht... origin stories.. size. development. It's pretty glaring..

[@j.anderson5206]

Van Lathan Jr doesn't appear to know what the word "existential" means

[@andyh4518]

I wonder how Nephew Kyle feels about Van's thoughts on nepotism.

[@folkdude01]

Or Cousin Sal.

[@t-god2439]

If time has shown us anything since they traded all those young guys to get AD. Can we really say the lakers drafted wrong? All those guys they drafted with the exception of kuzma. Turned out to be all stars or borderline

[@williestyle35]

Yep. The 76ers had a version of this after Embiid established himself and the "process" still had a good pile of draft picks. The 6ers kept drafting guys, hoping one or two would be a good piece, saw that player develop a little, then gave up on the young player for another pick or trade, "tried" again. Repeating similar steps, never sticking with any group of young players, getting less in return each repeat, then wondering why they had not really amassed a good "young core"...

[@roycedot]

Lonzo Ball hasn’t played in two years and Larry Nance Jr has never been close to an All Star. He averaged 5.7ppg and 5 rebounds last year. Caruso was undrafted, Josh Hart wasnt drafted by the Lakers….you have no idea what you’re sputtering

[@t-god2439]

@@roycedot okay so I was off by one player which is Larry nace. I also said the players that the lakers drafted. So why are you bring up Josh heart? For lonzo there were no injury concerns around him if I recall correctly when he was drafted. Injuries happen but they also don’t so why are you bring up that he hasent played in nearly two years? He’s wasent injury prone when he was on the lakers. Who’s to say if he was never traded that he would have still gotten hurt? Also those injuries don’t take away from lonzo talent. He fixed his jump shot , was and hopefully still can be a lock down defender, always had crazy vision and was a floor general. How is that not a great pick? Especially when you have Julius Randle? Or Ingram he would have set them up all day

[@g-cole]

Van Look So much like Kanye 😂😂😂

[@johnfoley8502]

Van was spittin’ this whole podcast.

[@becameabird]

If you loved lob city, u r gonna love: NEPOTISM MUNICIPALITY

[@florianwarnecke1995]

they are right, the Lakers need defense. But LeBron basically stopped defending entirely after the bubble Championship. You cannot win anything with 4 defenders on the court

[@PensFan35]

Van lathan needs to be on this podcast so much more often than he is.

[@Earl_E_Burd]

Wish I could articulate my thoughts as well as Van Lathan Jr. does

[@masonjones3780]

Lesser version of Hebron but he’s still good. Really good! Spot on

[@DracoBigD]

That Bronny draft pick also rubbed me the wrong way. That’s nepotism at its worst.

[@ChyeahWill]

Who should've gotten the pick then?

[@kindofbluenyc]

There have been far more egregious nepotism cases in America. Basketball is just entertainment. It's not that serious.

[@petergianakopoulos4926]

He's 6 "1 1/2 ...good luck

[@shorewall]

He'd have to play like Pat Beverly.

[@jasonhoppe781]

All I want to know is how AD feels about this BS. Like he’s cool with wasting another 2 years of Basketball? He’s gotta play with Lebron his son and his coach. If I’m AD I’m hitting that eject button a month into the season! Trade me please

[@eliazerperez9240]

Problem with the Lakers isn’t the roster, problem with the Lakers is Lebron and AD aren’t top 5 players anymore. In 2020 Lebron was the best player in the league and AD was probably 3 to 5. In 2024 they’re like the 12th and 14th best players in the league. That’s why they were a play in team despite AD and Bron playing basically a full season

[@LiamborninDC]

I don't know after Kobe they drafted pretty well. They could have had a team with BI, Randle, Kuzma, Hart, Ball, and Caruso. But no championship.

[@thebyrd220]

Stop with the BS about how great it will be to see father and son play. It’s nothing like the Griffy situation lmao. Y’all are high or trying to gaslight us with that one - Bronny has only shown us that is going to ride the bench. It won’t be heartwarming and fun bc it’ll be a mess and the team will suck and prob (hopefully) LeBron will have some cope and seethe moments or even a few meltdowns on court bc Bronny is so trash.

[@samestuffdifferentday5712]

That’s why Klay Thompson said no thank you , I’ll go east to Texas I’m not getting involved in that lakers mess. Smart move

[@davidstenner3136]

Hes basically spot on, the lakers will go back to being inept

[@TempeLane11552]

I don't want to root for a team that isn't doing everything it can to win. Drafting Bronny is about getting attention and pacifying LeBron.

[@Gabagool93]

A felt hat in the summer time, that doesn’t fit, with a hoodie on, wearing it inside is certainly a choice

[@shorewall]

They got the AC on.

[@tjanderson5892]

I was speaking it at the time. I wasn’t all in on Bron coming over bc I knew it was gonna blow up the young developing core for 1 maybe 2yrs of of Chip aspirations. We stomached the yrs we were trash collecting lottery picks knowing we’d have a young core to watch grow and develop. Then start adding auxiliary pieces around em like OKC/GS/ or even Boston. Knew signing Bron was gonna blow all that up and make the yrs we were garbage for picks seemingly be for nothing. Got a chip, but still feels a bit underwhelming

[@shorewall]

Imagine Randle, Ingram, Lonzo, Dlo, KCP, Caruso, Hart, Zubac, Nance all on the team. That's a good team!

[@tjanderson5892]

@@shorewall ya and Kuz. Definitely a cool little squad that woulda been our squad. Home grown. We see where we stack up after a few yrs then look add a pieces or swap a starter or 2 for a star to play nx to BI and Randall. Who knows. We’d have been in a good spot. Young w/ assets instead of old w/ klutch players Bron wants that he can later blame when things go bad

[@casualobserver4773]

Van’s cultural relevance point made me immediately think about the Cowboys and Dak

[@rhyshilders]

The top 50 players in the NCAA last season averaged 19+ points per game and many of them didn’t get drafted. You can’t tell me they all far more deserved to be drafted than Bronny.

[@HayastAnFedayi]

0:12 Bill's smile I can't even🤣🤣🤣...that smile sums up the way Celtics fan's have been feeling since banner 18 and this Lakers dumpster fire is the cherry on the top!!!

[@itscipher]

i agree with both of them. if bronny got drafted under these circumstances, that means the option to go pro would always be there. it feels disingenuous for bronny to say he wants teams to look at him for his talent and not his name then have rich paul call teams telling them he wont show up to training camp if they pick him. should've stayed in college and have a year that makes it undeniable that he's ready. i think he does have the talent to be a good pro, but this situation feels forced. i hope the best for him though and im looking forward to the moment him and bron share the floor because thats just cool

[@dereksupernaut]

FOR THE QUEEN FANS... Bill Cartwright and Ron Harper and Dennis Rodman all passed their prime, played & won with MJ... fax!!!

[@j.p.gonzalez9218]

People from modest backgrounds hate nepotism ? Wow I’m shocked 😮

[@michaelmcphee2006]

Yes the Lakers are a mess. No one in their right mind would want to play or coach there. It's a mom and pop operation in an age of analytics and billionaires., and easily one of the 5 worst run teams in the league.

[@exitscreaming4637]

LeBron destroyed the team with his emotional/low-IQ demand they trade KCP, Caruso, etc. for Westbook. He's not an intelligent person. He might be an intelligent player, but that's a whole nother thing . Can't wait till he retires

[@Cloud-ii7dg]

its baffling how moronic and arrogant this comment is. should’ve stayed a stain on the bedsheet

[@andu1854]

Or maybe All time great players sometimes turn out to be bad GM’s or owners

[@barakesmith-washington6946]

Unhinged hate 😭😭🫵 praying for you

[@manassharma7074]

He also greenlit the AD trade, but you won’t give him any credit for that. But ofc when the Westbrook trade doesn’t work it’s all Lebrons fault

[@dpistons149]

@@manassharma7074I think most 2k players would have greenlit the AD move 😂. It was a no brainer.

[@felixalfaro3119]

Why we acting like Bron isn’t the only guy to want to go to laker in close to 15 years lol

[@ThePenitentSquirrel]

Imagine telling some kid that grew up in the projects or war torn country that a player that their better than 'deserved' to get drafted and that wasn't nepotism. Now imagine telling Tyrese Haliburton that some rookie deserves half what you have had to bust your ass in incentives to earn in your career and its guaranteed. I'm not going to root against the kid, but I'm going to give him the time of day he deserves which is none.

[@TheManloc]

This needs to be point out ; There is a business side of the NBA that people often forget: 1. Other teams where interest in Browny, aka he was not gonna be 55th pick! That’s why rich Paul called team to tell them, Lebron and Brownie is not a package deal and not to draft Bronny cause its Lakers or Australia 2. With his fan base, the Lakers are gonna make much more money in jersey sales than with a random 55th pick 3. sports with salary capt makes superstars like Lebron underpaid! So you have to give them perks like this to compensate…

[@Earl_E_Burd]

The 4-year deal - getting Bronny a contract so he can chip in for a tiny piece of the Vegas franchise and get some experience for his future role in the front office.

[@pcharl01]

Bronny couldn't risk waiting though because of everyone saying this draft is weak and next year's is great.

[@fodetoure1576]

The lakers passed on brown and Tatum.

[@nocuh]

Lebron was like the Cal Ripken Jr of basketball, and now he also like the Cal Ripken of basketball 🫡

[@nostradumass6248]

that smile wasn’t unintentional. bill’s living for the lakers being a shitshow.

[@tombrokow8181]

Lebum and KD played with 17 All Star players.

[@michaelelliott9021]

I’m showing up opening night just to boo the James gang 😂

[@donaldumunawa4787]

Lakers are about winning championships, not about being a carnival.

[@dimitrijetucovic1307]

They've been a mess for years. LeBron's been done with serious basketball.

[@Jack-jx6ln]

They made the conference finals in 2022

[@sammyttheg412]

@@Jack-jx6ln 2023

[@HKim0072]

Steph (38), KD (38) and Lebron (42) need to get together for 1 year on discounted rates when their 2 year contracts expire.

[@kevinc8955]

Reaves took a paycut to be a Laker and the Lakers used that to make him a better trade asset.

[@Michael-tc1dm]

Once lebron retires, stars will flock to the lakers. Players dont want to play with lebron.

[@AdanBean]

“I’m watching guys not want to be Lakers. Since when was that a thing?” Idk…2014/2015? FAs not wanting to be Lakers goes back to Lamarcus Aldridge. Durant not taking an interview from them. The fact is that for all the complaints Lakers fans have of Bron, he gave them a gift by choosing to play there. He got AD there. Their Front Office ineptitude dates back to the last years of Kobe. They take care of aging stars but they’re not competent roster builders.

[@masamune28954]

Bronny getting drafted is embarrassing. The Lakers are embarrassing.

[@steves9964]

Gotta admit, the Lakers are out-jetting the Jets. How dare they try and compete against the Jets' eternal desire to under any circumstances win the offseason?

[@PhoenixRising82672]

They don't want to be involved with the drama that comes with LeBron

[@stingerz122]

Watch how fast a certain folk turn on him after speaking some truth others are afraid to

[@j.a.ward13]

I've been saying this for the longest. It's like James Dolan with the Knicks and Donald Sterling when he owned the Clippers. The organization is making so much many hand over fist with LeBron there winning isn't really the highest priority. Under Dr. Buss (R.I.P.) with Jerry West (R.I.P.) winning was everything. It is sad, but from a "Big Business" standpoint it's more PROFITABLE to appease LeBron which is INSANE

[@future62]

Lakers has been a tough franchise to play for since Kobe's time. Kobe accepted nothing less than 100%. Then when he left the team became a national pariah. And now Lebron brings on a lot of scrutiny and hate. I'm honestly not sure big cities are hot destinations for players anymore.

[@dereksupernaut]

NEVER FORGET... Van Lathan thinks Phantom Menace is a good movie, especially the ending where a child accidentally flies into the enemy and destroys them... fax!!!

[@seanogle4543]

9:50 I find this argument absolutely insane.... Of all the forms of nepotism, playing on a pro team is the least game-able, you literally have stats that will prove whether it worked or not. Whereas the example he used "Someone inherits a team- that's okay" completely indefensibly insane. The latter example is completely insulated from consequences where the former example (playing on a pro team) is instantly noticeable and fixable. If Bronny really sucks, it'll be known within a year or two, if a nepo baby that inherits a massive business sucks, they'll stay there forever and hurt thousands of people. Just so stupidly dumb