LaVar Ball is doubling down on a theory he has discussed for years, and he believes the criticism surrounding Bronny James reflects the very expectations he was talking about.
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During an appearance by Draymond Green on The LaVar Ball Show, LaVar Ball revisited his previous comments about the children of NBA superstars and pushed back against those who have used his old remarks to question Bronny James’ place in the league. The conversation focused on the pressure placed on athletes’ children and whether parents should use their success and resources to create opportunities for the next generation.
Ball said his earlier comments were not meant to suggest that the children of NBA superstars could not reach the league. Instead, he said his point was about the heightened expectations they face once they get there.
“Let’s say you have a position and you have a, let’s say, you have a kid. If you can help them get to the level to where they want to be in the same profession as you in. Do you think that’s cool? Cuz they try to, you know, jump on him and say, ‘Man, Bronny don’t deserve to be in the league.’”
Ball then revisited the comments that originally sparked the discussion.
“And you know, they’ll go back, they’ll go back in the archives and say what I said to try to ruffle up some feathers when I said I don’t see no superstars’ kids doing nothing in that NBA cuz they expect you to do too much.”
He added that he had hoped to be proven wrong.
“And so I said I hope I get proved wrong but I hate to tell you I ain’t. I hate to be right all the time, Draymond, but I am.”
Draymond Green Defends LeBron James’ Decision to Help Bronny
Ball then shifted the discussion toward parents using their position and resources to help their children pursue the same profession.
“So, what I’m saying is what’s the harm in letting your son or daughter jump to the front of the ship if you can afford that? Cuz everybody does it in everything else.”
He questioned why similar advantages are often treated differently when they involve professional basketball.
“So, how does, you know, Jeanie Buss, Paris Hilton, how do these folks resume without doing nothing and end up in front? And as soon as we do it, people go crazy.”
Green agreed with Ball’s broader argument and pushed back against the criticism aimed at Bronny and LeBron.
“So, I thought, I thought it was ridiculous when people said that about Bronny. I thought it was ridiculous when people tried to make it out as if LeBron James did him a disservice.”
Green questioned why helping a child reach the NBA should automatically be viewed negatively.
“Like, when has getting someone to NBA ever done anyone a disservice that you got to the NBA? So, I thought all of that stuff was blasphemous.”
He then made his position clear:
“If you can help your child, sign me up. Thank you.”
Green Points to NBA Ownership and Front Offices
Green expanded his argument beyond players and pointed toward NBA ownership groups and front offices, where family connections can also play a role in career opportunities.
“And so, um, to, you know, you look NBA front offices, you look in NBA ownership groups, you got a lot of kids, and I, I say kids as far as the children of owners.”
He clarified that he was referring to the children of owners rather than young people literally running teams.
“But they’re running teams, and they didn’t start off in a video room.”
Green’s comparison was that family connections and inherited opportunities are not limited to players whose parents are NBA stars.
Bronny entered the NBA after the Los Angeles Lakers selected him with the No. 55 pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. His selection set up the NBA’s first active father-son duo, with LeBron James still an active player for the Lakers.
His journey to the league came after a difficult period at USC. Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during a workout before his freshman season at USC. Following evaluations, a James family spokesperson said doctors had identified an anatomically and functionally significant congenital heart defect as the probable cause of his cardiac arrest.
Before entering the draft, Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists across 25 games for USC.
Bronny’s NBA journey has continued to draw attention, with much of the discussion centered on his relationship with LeBron and the opportunities that came with being the son of an NBA superstar.
For Ball, the scrutiny is connected to the expectations he was talking about years ago. For Green, the focus is different: if parents have the ability to help their children pursue an opportunity, he sees no reason that assistance should automatically be treated as a negative.
Their conversation ultimately puts the spotlight on a broader question surrounding Bronny’s career: how much of the scrutiny comes from his own basketball journey, and how much comes from being the son of one of the NBA’s biggest stars?