The Los Angeles Lakers did the inevitable Thursday, drafting Bronny James with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Did he earn the right to be selected, though?

NESN’s George Balekji and Ountae Campbell discussed whether or not it was a worthy selection on the “Hold My Banner” podcast Friday morning, as well as mulling over the overall qualifications of James and No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher.

“It’s not like LeBron James is a role-player, or barely seeing minutes,” Balekji said. “… I can’t look at Bronny and say, ‘He’s ready for the NBA.’ I think he should have stayed USC with Eric Musselman — who has a proven track record for developing NBA talent.”

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Is it a blatant case of nepotism from the Lakers? Do they actually think Bronny James is capable of contributing down the road?

You can check out the full “Hold My Banner” episode in the YouTube video embedded above or on Spotify.

    What do you think?  Leave a comment.

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