Surprising no one, the Lakers selected Bronny James with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. What followed was a hoopla and hysteria only seen for superstar players like, well, his father, LeBron James.

The hot takes came scorching in, calling Bronny a nepo baby. Contradictions were aplenty, whether it was faux outrage that he took a spot from a player more deserving or anger that another team wouldn’t draft him higher.

He’s been a hot-button topic from that moment on, including at the Summer League that followed. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss recently appeared on the Petros And Money show for AM 570 LA to discuss Bronny James and his potential.

“We have to let the kid (Bronny) have an opportunity to play and prove that he should be in a Laker uniform,” Buss said. “And everything that we’ve seen from him and about him and his work ethic and just some of the things that he’s had to overcome being the son of a big star, you know, he works hard, he’s dedicated, he really wants to do this. And you know, if we can have a roster of players with that same mentality, then I think the sky’s the limit.”

They say there are two tragedies in life: not getting what you want and getting it. While Bronny may have hit the parental lottery, being born into fortune and fame, the grass may not be as green as it seems.

I witnessed firsthand the hysteria surrounding Bronny at Summer League. That level of attention and scrutiny would make most of us crumble, even if our egos won’t allow us to admit it.

He’s already had to answer tough questions and deal with playing below a perceived level he’s expected to be at. Ultimately, as Lakers coach JJ Redick has stated, Bronny is a “developmental player” and needs time to grow.

He was selected late in the second round because he’s not a ready-to-play asset. However, the defensive upside is there and if he continues to improve, he has the potential to be a good rotation player on an NBA team.

As Jeanie stated, he needs that opportunity, grace to grow and patience to reach his full potential.

In the end, if Bronny is an NBA player, he will become one. If not, he’ll flame out of the league in a couple of years. Life can give us advantages, but we must play those cards we’re dealt the right way.

Lakers fans are hoping Bronny can become another ace the team developed, just like they did with players like Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso, among others.

Let’s just not be so weird during that process.