Draymond Green Calls Bronny James Nepotism Backlash 'Blasphemous'

By virtue of his relation to NBA superstar LeBron James, Bronny James is constantly under the microscope, with many raising questions about his ability to remain in the NBA. To that end, some critics even suggest that Bronny’s position on the Lakers’ roster is a product of nepotism.

Despite the positive reviews about his development from the Lakers‘ coaching staff, Bronny James remains in the media spotlight. Hence, during a recent appearance on “The LaVar Ball Show,” Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green addressed these matters once and for all.

LaVar Ball began by reflecting on the criticism surrounding Bronny James, highlighting that he was among those who doubted James’ ability to perform in the NBA. He shared:

“They try to jump on him and say, ‘Man, Bronny doesn’t deserve to be in the league.’ 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. Could they expect you to do too much?”

Ball added that he hoped he would be proven wrong. Unfortunately, James’ career in the NBA hasn’t necessarily produced enough evidence to form a convincing argument. On that note, he asked Draymond Green why it was such an issue for parents to leverage their status and profession to help their children if they wish to enter the same line. To this, Green responded:

“So, I thought it was ridiculous when people said that about Bronny. I thought it was ridiculous. People tried to make it out as if LeBron James did him a disservice. Like, when has anyone in the NBA ever done anyone a disservice that you got to the NBA? So, I thought all of that stuff was blasphemous.”

“If you can help your child, sign me up. Not that having five kids makes me more of a father than the next man. But sign me up, man. Like, no-brainer,” he continued. “You look at NBA front offices, you look at NBA ownership groups, and you got a lot of kids. And I say kids, as far as the children of owners running teams… They didn’t start off in the video room. They didn’t start off as a scout.”

While acknowledging how franchise ownership is often structured to have the next generation take over, Draymond Green emphasized that there was nothing wrong with Bronny James receiving support from LeBron James.

“There’s a way to teach your kid resilience. There’s a way to teach your kid to go after something and pursue a goal. There’s all these ways to do it… That doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t be there for their kids or that they’re spoiling their kid. Like, no, man. I worked my a– off to be in this position so that you don’t have to work as hard to do the same thing.”

Although Green noted that LeBron James was in a position to give his son the necessary boost and platform to get to the NBA, staying in the league completely rests on Bronny’s shoulders. As a trial by fire, there isn’t much a father can do but prepare his son for the challenges he could face. To that end, one could argue that the 21-year-old has held his own.

Despite being assigned to the G League for extended periods during the 2025-26 regular season, James ended the campaign with averages of 2.9 points, 1.2 assists, and 0.5 blocks per game on 40.9% shooting from the field and 38.6% from three-point range in 8.9 minutes.

While this stat line doesn’t inspire much confidence in his abilities, Bronny James could be due for a larger role in the rotation next season. Since the criticism will follow him regardless of his father’s departure, the 21-year-old can only aim to use it as motivation to fuel a breakout campaign.