After flaming out of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham and had plans to upgrade their roster by any means necessary.
Unfortunately for the franchise, it was unable to make any significant roster moves during the offseason and chose to make some controversial and questionable decisions instead, hiring first-timer JJ Redick as their new head coach and selecting Bronny James with their second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
On opening night, the Lakers made NBA history by putting the first father-son duo on the floor against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which drew mixed reactions.
Although many thought it was a moment that deserved to be acknowledged, others thought it was a staged event that should be heavily criticized.
Former NBA player and head coach Avery Johnson did not agree with the negative reactions.
“I just think there’s a lot of jealousy and hate towards this situation that’s really unnecessary,” Johnson said, via SiriusXM NBA Radio.
"I just think there's a lot of jealously and hate towards this situation that's really unnecessary"
? Avery Johnson talks about the debut of Bronny James last night #LakeShow@CoachAvery6 | @WorldWideWob | @adaniels33 pic.twitter.com/mWEjttjRip
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 23, 2024
Although Johnson has a point, the Lakers are clearly bowing to the will of LeBron James, who wanted to make this moment happen, even though it wasn’t a great basketball move by the team, as Bronny James seems far from an NBA-caliber player at the moment.
Fortunately, Redick seems to have some sense and doesn’t seem to have plans to plug Bronny James into the rotation, as he anticipates the rookie playing in the G League for most of his first year on the professional level.
NEXT: Kendrick Perkins Weighs In On JJ Redick's Coaching Debut
