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College basketball fans called out LA Lakers legend and former NBA MVP and champion Magic Johnson on social media for supporting the team's decision to draft USC guard Bronny James.
Bronny, the son of Lakers forward and four-time NBA MVP LeBron James, was selected 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday. Johnson, who played for 13 seasons with the purple and gold and helped the team to five championships in the "Showtime" era, congratulated Bronny and emphasized the historical significance of the team's draft-day move.
However, some fans reacted negatively to Johnson's social media post, with one follower calling the move a "waste of a pick"
"What a waste of a pick. My Lakers do more and more to make me not a fan," the basketball fan wrote on X.
"C'mon now Magic... you approve of this," another user said.
Some fans called it an embarrassment to the league.
"Be honest this is an embarrassment, and he shouldn’t be in the league except Daddy wants it lol 😂," the user posted.
"This is worse than you drafting the Ball boy," a college hoops fan chimed in.
One user compared it with the instance when MLB star Ken Griffey Jr played with his father, Ken Sr, during the latter's twilight years.
"Not nearly as cool as Ken Griffey JR playing with his dad in the same outfield, and batting next to each other in the order. Bronny wont ever see the court with his dad unless it's forced," he wrote.
A basketball fan couldn't hide his disappointment with the 17-time NBA champions, calling the current era a clown show.
"I loved the lakers. They are not close to a championship team, and this seems like a clown show at this point. sad 😢," the X user posted.
Another fan alluded to what would likely be the reality for Bronny once he steps into the NBA arena in four months.
"Kinda feel sorry for him a bit. Everyone is gonna compare him to Lebron. I think it might’ve been better if he’d gone somewhere else. Blaze his own trail. I think this is a bit of a selfish move from Lebron. But good luck to him," he wrote.
Magic Johnson's congratulatory post has generated 1.7 million views on X, 35,000 likes and 2,200 replies.
What's next for the LA Lakers after drafting Bronny James?
As the LA Lakers completed what was arguably the most anticipated draft-day move in history, the stage is set for the first father-and-son duo to play together in the NBA.
However, to formally complete it, the Lakers must wait until Saturday for LeBron's decision on whether he exercises his player option or becomes a free agent, while Bronny still needs to sign a deal with the purple-and-gold to make it official.
The next few days will still be exciting, to say the least for Lakers fans, as they have to wait on the decisions of LeBron and Bronny to set the wheels in motion for the 2024-25 season.
