Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul managed to include New York Knicks owner James Dolan’s name in the mix when speaking on the bright spotlight Bronny James has been under leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft.
Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul takes aim at James Dolan
Paul was not glowing in his recent remarks about Dolan. He labeled him as the poster child of nepotism in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes when addressing the attention James has received in the media and in mock drafts due to his father, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James (h/t Jordanna Clark of Daily Knicks):
“When you look at America as a whole, it’s built on the nepotism. No one’s having this conversation about Jim Dolan. He owns the Knicks, but his dad built a business. Same with Casey Wasserman. Lou Wasserman built a business. I got plenty of friends that come from very wealthy families whose families built a business, and when it’s their turn to take charge, they’re not sitting on the couch. They’re looking to enhance it,” Paul remarked.
Rich Paul: James Dolan built the Knicks empire off the back of his father Charles Dolan
Paul’s references are not erroneous. Dolan’s father, billionaire Charles Dolan, bought the Knicks in 1994 as the founder of Cablevision. This allowed the Dolan family to lead the Knicks to great success for the rest of the decade, spilling over into the younger Dolan taking over the reins in 1999. However, in the NBA and professional sports as a whole, a player’s entry into the league is predicated on merit, and not name recognition. Michael Jordan and his progeny are a perfect example of that.
How has Bronny James’ draft profile been impacted by LeBron James?
No matter, the younger James has had his name linked to several teams including the elder James’ Lakers and the Knicks, as a potential second-round draft pick, but with a caveat. The belief is that whichever team drafts Bronny will also lure LeBron away from L.A. to play with his son. LeBron has been open about wanting to share the court with his eldest son before retiring. At 39 years of age, his window of opportunity won’t last very long.
Bronny’s profile has not been elevated beyond its worth, though. He was left off of mock drafts earlier in the 2023-24 NBA season, which ruffled many feathers including his father’s. Mixed reports came back from his showing at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine, as some teams viewed him as a viable prospect for their team while others continued to propagate that he’s not an NBA-ready talent.
Bronny will have to earn his spot in the league despite being LeBron’s son
The younger James’ play exceeded his numbers for the USC Trojans in 2023-24, but his 26.7 percent clip from three-point range is concerning regarding his ability to shoot efficiently behind a deeper NBA three-point line.
All things considered, Paul is pushing for the younger James to get drafted and make his own name in the league. He shot down the potentiality of Bronny signing a two-way contract and has him slated for a workout with the Phoenix Suns this week, with the hopes that they’ll take him in the first round with the No. 22 pick. The Knicks will have the No. 38 overall pick to decide on Bronny, should he still be on the board by then.