Controversial Former Laker Rips 'Travesty' Bronny James Pick

Did Los Angeles make a mistake on this swing?

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) walks back to the bench during the second half against the Houston Rockets at the Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images / Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Former journeyman NBA center Kwame Brown, who suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers during Kobe Bryant's post-Shaquille O'Neal/pre-Pau Gasol wilderness, has evolved into a great talking head since hanging up his sneakers for good.

During a now-private episode of the "Swish Cultures" podcast, Brown attacked Los Angeles for its decision to burn the No. 55 selection in the 2024 NBA Draft on former USC Trojans point guard Bronny James, the underperforming 19-year-old son of 20-time Lakers All-Star combo forward LeBron James.

“This is the travesty that people are not realizing," Brown claimed. "They’re acting like the 55th pick ain’t nothing. But don’t you think the kid from NC State, who is a proven double-double monster, could have been a project? Lose a little weight — this kid is a monster. What’s his name, the center for NC State? DJ Burns. How can you make a case for Bronny James, a guy that had a heart issue, that hadn’t proven anything, against a guy that went to a good school and put up numbers against everybody?”

Burns, a 6-foot-9 center, went undrafted out of North Carolina State after guiding the Wolfpack to the Final Four last spring. He signed with Korean Basketball League club the Goyang Sono Skygunners to continue his career.

”But I see a guy who’s athletic that needs to learn how to cut and slash more until he gets more comfortable with shooting,” Brown added. “If he doesn’t learn how to play the point guard, I don’t think he’s as strong as David Wesley. At his size — 6-foot-1, 6-foot-2 — he’s the only guy that I’ve seen who could play that spot at the two. If he doesn’t learn how to bring the ball up, he’s going to be a poor man’s Juan Dixon. I think he’ll bounce around. His daddy has enough power with Klutch Sports to keep him in the league, but after that, if he doesn’t learn how to play point, he’s gonna fizzle out.”

In 2001, the 6-foot-11 Brown was selected with the No. 1 overall pick straight out of high school, at Glynn Academy in Georgia, by then-Washington Wizards team president Michael Jordan (yes, that really happened). He was selected ahead of future Defensive Player of the Year (and one-time Laker) Tyson Chandler (the No. 2 pick), future Lakers Hall of Famer Pau Gasol (the No. 3 pick), future seven-time All-Star swingman Joe Johnson (the No. 10 pick), future two-time All-Star power forward Zach Randolph (the No. 19 pick), future All-Star combo forward Gerald Wallace (the No. 25 selection), and eventual San Antonio Spurs Hall of Famer Tony Parker (the No. 29 pick), among others.

After four largely uneventful seasons in D.C., Brown was flipped to the Lakers in 2005, and played alongside Bryant and Lamar Odom for the ensuing two-and-a-half seasons. But Brown's biggest contribution to L.A. was as trade fodder. Brown, combo guard Javaris Crittenton, and swingman Aaron McKie were all flipped to the the draft rights to Marc Gasol, and the Lakers' 2008 and 2010 first round draft picks were flipped to the Memphis Grizzlies for All-Star center Pau Gasol, along with a 2010 second round pick. Memphis allowed Brown to enter restricted free agency that ensuing summer, and he signed on with the Detroit Pistons. Brown next reunited with Jordan again, who was now the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, in the summer of 2010. He wrapped up his career with the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers, finally retiring in 2013.

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