The Los Angeles Lakers using a second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Bronny James has been met with a level of skepticism from some corners of the game, but Gilbert Arenas and Kenyon Martin were outright mocking the 19-year-old’s potential as he prepares to possibly make history with his superstar father LeBron.
Brandon Jennings: What are you guys expecting from Bronny this season
*Gilbert Arenas stands up and claps*
Gilbert Arenas: Go daddy go, do you need you water, do you guys need towels pic.twitter.com/y7q6cBRXgi
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) July 14, 2024
The younger James’ role on the team — and whether his talent warrants a place on the Lakers’ roster or not — will be determined as he prepares for the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season.
Martin had some ideas about the younger James to start the mocking discussion on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast.
“Show up and work out and work on your game,” Martin said.
Arenas then stood up while clapping his hands, like the younger James might do from the bench, and Martin vocalized what the player might be saying.
“‘Go Daddy, go!” Martin yelled. “‘Go Daddy, go! There my Daddy!'”
Arenas then chimed in with his own words from the younger James, portraying him in a gofer-type role for his dad and the other veteran Lakers.
“‘What you need?'” Arenas mocked. “‘Alright, let me go get you towels, let me get you water.’ … Hey, sit there, learn the plays. Talk to the coach.”
Martin added some more humorous words.
“‘Don’t talk about Daddy like that,'” he said.
The host then wrapped up the exchange with his views on someone who was just the No. 55 overall pick in the draft after a disappointing single season in college.
“He’s a second-round pick,” Arenas said. “What you expect? Him to learn, understand. Be cheerful.”
In defense of the younger James, he overcame a significant setback to even play again, having suffered a cardiac arrest while preparing for his freshman season at the University of Southern California (USC). Once possibly considered a first-round talent, he managed to improve his stock in the preparations for this summer’s draft and is competing in NBA Summer League action.
The elder James for some time expressed his desire to play in the NBA at the same time as his oldest son, even if it was as an opponent. Now, thanks to the way the 2024 draft played out, the 39-year-old will get to do so as a teammate, with the chance to make history as the first father-son duo to play together on the same team in NBA history.
The younger James will continue to face more scrutiny than perhaps any second-round pick in recent memory, but if he does find some level of success in the NBA, Martin and Arenas might have to change their tune at some point in the future.
