Shaquille O’Neal Reveals Thoughts on Lakers Drafting Bronny James

The three-time Lakers Finals MVP shares his thoughts on Los Angeles drafting LeBron James' eldest son this year.

May 25, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Shaquille O Neal holds a basketball courtside before game five of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics in the 2023 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images / Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Former Los Angeles Lakers star center Shaquille O' Neal has carved out an amazing career as an NBA analyst post his playing days. The four-time NBA Champion stole America's heart as a member of the legendary "Inside the NBA" crew on TNT. When it comes to his Lakers, The Diesel has never minced his words as he embodies that championship or bust mentality that comes with being a member of the Purple and Gold. When it comes to popular stories surrounding the Lakers, it is unlikely that the media will miss a reaction from Shaq.

During the 2024 NBA Draft the Lakers dominated headlines after they decided to select Bronny James, point guard out of the University of Southern California with the 55th overall pick. The pick by Los Angeles made history as they became the first professional basketball team to have a father-son duo on their active roster. The son of Lakers' superstar LeBron James has faced plenty of criticism surrounding his arrival into the NBA, as certain reporters were skeptical about his ability to play in the league.

Shaq came to the defense of the James family as he has dealt with some similar situations surrounding his son Shareef. Bronny experienced a cardiac arrest in the summer of 2023 that sideline him until the midway point of his freshmen season at USC, similarly Shareef dealt with a cardiovascular issue that required surgery ultimately hindering his professional career.

Due to the similarities in their situations, Shaq explained in an episode of The OGs podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller that he excited for this new journey that the James family is about to embark on and that he is rooting for Bronny James to have success throughout his NBA career.

“Little Bronny is my nephew," O'Neal said. "Happy for him. I wish him well. I know his work ethic and there’s a lot of storylines good and bad behind that. I just hope everything goes well. I just sat here with Marlon Wayans on my podcast, he said, ‘I want my kids to be happy.’ And I want the young fella [Bronny] to be happy. And I kind of know what he’s going through because my son Shareef, he’s still trying. He was a good player, he had the [cardiac arrest] situation, still trying to get in [the league]. So the only thing for kids like that is they have a lot of pressure because they have the last name."

"They don’t even really get the opportunity to do what they want, they’re always gonna be compared to us. But I tell him all the time, we don’t need another basketball player in the family," O'Neal said. "I just want you to be happy. So right now, Shareef is with me at Reebok and we’re doing big things, we’re actually talking to a couple of your players, Mike, and that’s what it’s all about. So my wish for Bronny is to be happy. I hate the storylines, I hate the nepotism talk and all that, it doesn’t matter. He’s in, I want him to be happy and I want him to perform and I want him to do well. Because his son and my son are best friends. I’m not gonna jeopardize their relationship just by saying some shit. I wouldn’t say that shit anyways because LeBron and his family have always been good to me. He’s like a nephew to me, so I just wish him well.”

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