Lakers are already seeing profit from Bronny James before NBA debut, according to Gilbert Arenas

Gilbert Arenas claims the Los Angeles Lakers have already made huge profits since they picked Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Lakers are already seeing profit from Bronny James before NBA debut, according to Gilbert Arenas

Bronny James

As the 2024-25 season approaches, Bronny James is one of the youngsters that would be keenly watched in the NBA, especially as he will be playing his rookie year on the Los Angeles Lakers team alongside his father LeBron James. NBA icon Gilbert Arenas has now claimed that the franchise is already making good money off the young man.

Speaking on his podcast lately, the former NBA star pointed out that the Lakers are turning a profit on Bronny James. He explained that contrary to public opinion, the decision to pick the youngster by the franchise was a shrewd one. When asked how much influence LeBron had on the team picking his son, Arenas said:

Lakers are happy with the Bronny pick because he's sold enough jerseys to make up for his contract. He's equal money to the team itself, so it's not like they lose money on a kid. They're going to make money on a kid because of [the jersey sales].
Gilbert Arenas said on the Gils Arena Show

According to him, many people may have questioned the Lakers’ move for the 19-year-old. However, he asserted that it made lot of sense business-wise for the franchise, given that drafting the young James presented a lucrative opportunity for them to make money, which they have done through his jerseys.

While Gilbert Arenas is known for his controversial takes, he may actually have a point here. For one, LeBron James is an NBA superstar and widely regarded as a basketball legend. Secondly, his achievements and impact over the years would definitely rub off on his child. Although he didn’t get much hype himself like his father, being called the 4-time NBA champion’s son already guarantees lots of attention.

Bronny James received NBA 2k25 rating ahead of rookie year

Ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season, player ratings for the popular basketball game NBA 2k25 were released. Astonishingly, Bronny James had a rating of 68, despite not having played one professional game yet. While some fans felt it was a fair rating, others weren’t too happy about it.

The latter group argued it was too high for a rookie yet to prove his abilities to the basketball community. Indeed, a lot is definitely expected from the younger James going into his first season, especially as he will now be teammates with his dad on the court for the first time.

James Jr. spent just a season of college basketball with the USC Trojans before entering pro basketball. During that year, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 25 games played. At the moment, it remains to be seen how he will perform in the league.

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