Adam Minter, Columnist

Bronny James Proves the NBA Draft Is Changing

The rise of NIL paydays for college athletes is altering the dynamics of who goes to the pros.

June 29, 2024 at 12:00 PM UTC

Adam Minter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the business of sports. He is the author, most recently, of “Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale."

Time to change that jersey, Bronny.
Photographer: David Becker/Getty Images

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What Lebron James wants, Lebron James gets. In 2022 he declared that he wanted to play on the same National Basketball Association team as his son, Bronny. On Thursday, the Lakers selected Bronny in the second round of the NBA draft in hopes of making that happen.

Nobody, not even the Lakers, pretends that Bronny’s selection was based on merit alone. His brief college career was underwhelming and marred by a serious health scare.