Sports
Who will draft Bronny James? The Lakers should just say no
So now it’s official, Bronny James is entering next month’s NBA draft and I know what you’re thinking and …
No.
So now it’s obvious, LeBron James’ oldest child has a chance to play with his father and, wow, wouldn’t that be …
No!
So now it’s happening, the Lakers are going to pick Bronny so they can re-sign LeBron and …
No, no, no!
The Lakers should not draft Bronny James under any circumstances, with any pick, absolutely not, steer clear, take a pass, blow him off, take somebody else, anybody else.
Adding Bronny James to the Lakers would be like lighting up a cigarette at the gas pump.
Their lack of self restraint would result in an explosion.
It was confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday that Bronny, 19, officially is leaving college after one season at USC and turning pro.
Bronny wasn’t too impressive as a Trojan, averaging five points, three rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes per game after suffering a cardiac arrest episode the previous summer. However, he was one of the best players in the recent NBA draft combine and later shined for every team during a pro day at the Lakers practice facility.
Some experts are saying he could go in the first round. Others say he’s no greater than a second-round pick. Some still believe he’s not worthy of being drafted at all.
But most everyone agrees that the most predictable landing spot would be the Lakers.
USC guard Bronny James taps hands with his father, LeBron James, as he warms up before a game against Stanford in Los Angeles on Jan. 6.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
Which predictably would be a disaster.
The Lakers have the 17th pick. It would be insanity to take him that high. The Lakers also have the 55th pick. It would be pandering to take him there.
Face it, they would be drafting Bronny only as incentive for LeBron to re-sign with them after he opts out of his contract this summer. That’s a terrible reason for talent acquisition, and forms a shaky foundation upon which the Bronny Experience would quickly crumble.
When your résumé reads only, “Nepotism,” you’re doomed from the start.
This is not to say that somebody shouldn’t draft Bronny. You can’t judge him from his season at USC because he was recovering from the heart issue. He apparently has a great basketball IQ and, even though he’s only 6 feet 2, his athleticism is enormous.
He easily could be a serviceable player and have a great experience in many places. He deserves, like all draftees, to play somewhere he can be himself and lay down his own footprints and be celebrated. He certainly could do this almost anywhere.
Anywhere but here.
If the Lakers draft him, first, they’re not being fair to Bronny. The pressure on him to perform in such close proximity to his father would be untenable.
It was bad enough when LeBron was sitting courtside at Galen Center. Can you imagine how Bronny would feel with his father sitting across from him in the locker room?
Can you ponder what it would be like to work in such close quarters with your famous father? And how would their teammates react? Would they ever fully trust Bronny? Could he ever truly be himself with his dad always watching?
The problems would only get worse when they move to the court. There would be unbelievably cool moments, like an ally-oop from son to father, or a cross-court assist from father to son, but they wouldn’t be enough to compensate for the constant heat on the shoulders of the kid.
Bronny would have to learn the pro game with his father hovering over every move, judging, advising, lecturing, maybe even occasionally scolding.
The Lakers’ LeBron James watches USC play Long Beach State at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on Dec. 10. James’ son, Bronny, played for the Trojans.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
It would be one thing for Bronny to go two for 10 in Salt Lake City on a game LeBron can only watch on TV. It would be another thing for Bronny to struggle at Crypto.com Arena with LeBron breathing down his neck.
It wouldn’t be pretty. It’s already not pretty.
Bronny addressed the issue with reporters at the draft combine when he said, “Yeah, it’s a lot.”
He added, “My dream has always just been to put my name out, make a name for myself, and of course, you know, get to the NBA … I never thought about just playing with my dad, but of course he’s, he’s brought it up a couple times. But yeah, I don’t think about it.”
Perhaps the only people who would feel as much pressure as Bronny would be the Lakers themselves. Drafting Bronny would force them to give even more control to LeBron while setting themselves up for consistently awkward situations.
So, say, Bronny isn’t getting any minutes and needs to be sent down to the G-League. Do they ask LeBron or do they tell him? And if they ask him, what if he says no?
And what if LeBron thinks Bronny isn’t being coached correctly? How ugly is that going to be? How many whispers will leak out of the locker room then?
If the Lakers draft Bronny, the benefits will be far outweighed by the circus. The daily focus won’t be about wins and losses, but father and son. Their working relationship will dominate the talk on social media. With every Bronny move, the cameras will focus on LeBron’s reaction to that move.
No father and son ever played in the NBA at the same time. It would be history enough if Bronny plays elsewhere. It would be hysteria if he plays for the Lakers.
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Earlier this month, the Pittsburgh Steelers entered a head coaching search for just the third time since hiring Chuck Noll in 1969.
On Jan. 13, Mike Tomlin announced he would step down after 19 seasons as the franchise’s head coach.
During the search for their next head coach, the Steelers interviewed a number of candidates, many of them young assistants in the vein of Noll, Mike Tomlin and Bill Cowher, all of whom arrived in Pittsburgh as relative unknowns and left with Super Bowl rings and Hall of Fame-worthy resumes.
During an introductory press conference with the Steelers that got emotional at times, McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, beamed with pride about his third head coaching opportunity.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy at a news conference announcing him as the new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium Jan. 27, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
“I thought I’d at least be able to get started,” the new Steelers head coach said, trying unsuccessfully to choke back his emotions while looking out at members of the McCarthy family inside Acrisure Stadium.
McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers spent several years together when both were part of the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy coached the Packers to a 125-77-2 record from 2006-18. Rodgers left the Packers after the 2022 season. He spent two seasons with the New York Jets before signing a one-year deal with the Steelers last offseason.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy during the first half against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium Jan. 5, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
While Rodgers had a relatively productive first season with the Steelers, the 42-year-old quarterback is undoubtedly much closer to the sunset of his storied career than the onset. It is unclear whether Rodgers will return to the Steelers in 2026, pursue an opportunity with another team or simply step away from the game.
The possibility of a reunion between Rodgers and McCarthy was brought up during Tuesday’s news conference. McCarthy expressed optimism about potentially getting another shot at coaching Rodgers.
“Definitely, I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” McCarthy replied to reporters’ questions about possibly working with the four-time MVP.
TOM BRADY TALKS AARON RODGERS’ POSSIBLE RETIREMENT, IMPROVING IN BROADCAST BOOTH
In 2022, ahead of Dallas Cowboys coach McCarthy’s return to Lambeau Field, Rodgers said the passage of time had given him a greater appreciation of the seasons he spent with his former coach.
“It’s probably normal in any relationship you have,” Rodgers said at the time. “When you’re able to take time away, and you have that separation, it’s natural to look back and have a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude and thankfulness for that time.”
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, right, speaks at a news conference introducing him as the next head coach of the Steelers as owner Art Rooney II listens in at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium Jan. 27, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
McCarthy oversaw the Packers’ 2010 season when the franchise won its lone Super Bowl title during Rodgers’ career, but the relationship between the quarterback and coach eventually soured. McCarthy was fired late in the 2018 season.
Neither McCarthy nor his hometown Steelers have been back to the big game since. He knows the clock is ticking.
“It’s time to bring another championship back to this great city,” McCarthy said Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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It’s time to see which Mission League basketball teams are ready for some March Madness in February.
The tournament is set to begin Thursday after Tuesday’s final results clarified seedings.
The final game of the night was Crespi pulling out a 65-61 win over Loyola when Isaiah Barnes scored while falling down with 15 seconds left for the game-clinching basket. Despite the loss, Loyola claimed fourth place in the seedings while finishing in a three-way tie for fourth with Crespi and St. Francis.
The Cubs, though, are 14-14 and will need a win Saturday against the winner of Thursday’s Bishop Alemany (No. 8) vs. St. Francis (No. 5) game to keep alive their Southern Section playoff hopes. You need a .500 or better record to be considered for an at-large berth.
The other Thursday game has No. 7 Chaminade at No. 6 Crespi. That winner will play at Harvard-Westlake on Saturday.
Crespi was led by 6-foot-9 Rodney Mukendi, who scored 17 points. Deuce Newt had 15 points for Loyola.
Harvard-Westlake 90, St. Francis 56: Joe Sterling got back his shooting touch, making seven threes and finishing with 27 points. Amir Jones added 17 points for Harvard-Westlake. St. Francis did not play center Cherif Millogo.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 81, Bishop Alemany 48: The Knights claimed second place in the Mission League and an automatic spot for the Southern Section playoffs. Zach White had 26 points and 10 rebounds. Notre Dame played without NaVorro Bowman.
Sierra Canyon 79, Chaminade 28: Brandon McCoy had 18 points and Maxi Adams added 17 points for the Mission League regular-season champions.
Crean Lutheran 76, La Habra 67: The Saints took over first place in the Crestview League.
Mira Costa 53, Peninsula 41: Logan Dugdale has 17 points and 10 rebounds for Mira Costa (23-4).
Sports
Amanda Anisimova defends right to avoid ‘clickbait’ questions about US politics at Australian Open
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American tennis star Amanda Anisimova called out a reporter at the Australian Open for asking “clickbait” questions about representing the United States under the Trump administration, saying it was her “right” not to speak on political matters.
Speaking to reporters after her fourth-round victory over Wang Xinyu, Anisimova was asked about how she is handling the “discourse” that has surrounded her after a reporter asked her and several American tennis players about their thoughts on representing the Stars and Stripes.
Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. is congratulated by Katerina Siniakova, right, of the Czech Republic following their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Dita Alangkara/AP Photo)
“I feel like the internet is – it’s tough. It comes with the job, which is something I’ve learned to get used to,” she said, adding that there are days “where it bothers me a little bit.”
Anisimova, a finalist at the 2025 U.S. Open and Wimbledon, later addressed the incident involving the reporter, who OutKick reported was freelance journalist Owen Lewis.
“In my other press conference, the fact that I didn’t want to answer a question that was obviously intended for just like a headline and clickbait, that was my right. It had nothing to do with my political views or anything like that.”
Anisimova was initially asked at an earlier press conference how it felt to “play under the American flag right now.”
“I was born in America. So, I’m always proud to represent my country,” the New Jersey native said. “A lot of us are doing really well, and it’s great to see a lot of great athletes on the women’s side and men’s side. I feel like we’re all doing a great job representing ourselves.”
Amanda Anisimova of the United States in action against Simona Waltert of Switzerland in the first round on Day 2 of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 19, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
TENNIS STAR AMANDA ANISIMOVA DISMISSES REPORTER’S CYNICAL QUESTION ABOUT US: ‘I DON’T THINK THAT’S RELEVANT’
But the reporter later clarified his question, asking “in the context of the last year of everything that’s been happening in the U.S., does that complicate that feeling at all?”
Anisimova fired back, “I don’t think that’s relevant.”
Speaking to reporters Monday, she said it was wrong for fans to assume her politics based on that response, saying, “The fact that people assume that they know my stance on certain important topics is just wrong. It’s not factual. It’s tough, but I’ve learned to get used to it.”
Amanda Anisimova reacts after defeating Naomi Osaka during the women’s singles semifinals of the US Open tennis championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Sept. 5, 2025. (Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)
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Many social media users, including former American tennis stars John Isner and Tennys Sandgren, came to her defense and criticized the reporter’s line of questioning, which other American tennis players, including Taylor Fritz, were asked.
Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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