Ron Harper says ‘dummies’ are mad about LeBron helping Bronny get to NBA: ‘I would do the same thing’

Ever since LeBron James’ son Bronny was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, there have been naysayers chalking the younger James making it to the NBA up to nepotism.

That discourse was seemingly reignited after the younger James logged a season-high 15 minutes of action for Los Angeles when it took on the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this week. The rookie didn’t exactly capitalize on his extended playing time, as he scored zero points and shot 0-of-5 from the field and 0-of-3 from 3-point range.

However, former Lakers guard Ron Harper doesn’t seem to have a problem with the elder James helping his son achieve his NBA dreams. He even referred to those mad at the elder James as “dummies.”

Maybe Harper went to bat for the elder James regarding that subject because he has two sons of his own who are basketball players.

Harper’s oldest son, also named Ron, is currently with the Detroit Pistons on a two-way deal. Detroit inked him to that deal earlier on in the month of January. He also played in 10 total regular-season games with the Toronto Raptors in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns.

Meanwhile, Dylan Harper, the youngest son in the family, is a star player at Rutgers University and could be a top selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The younger James has yet to have a breakout game in the NBA. But he’s already had his fair share of notable performances for Los Angeles’ G League affiliate — the South Bay Lakers — and went off from a scoring standpoint against the Rip City Remix not long ago on Jan. 24.

In a game South Bay won by double digits, the younger James scored a team-high 31 points while shooting 10-of-22 from the field and 5-of-11 from 3-point range. He also contributed two rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.

Regardless of whether the younger James is in the NBA because of nepotism or not, the fact that he has been able to play on the same team as the elder James has made for one of the more memorable father-son stories in the lengthy history of the league.