Stephen A. reacts to Bob Myers saying Rich Paul called teams to NOT draft Bronny | First Take

Stephen A. reacts to Bob Myers saying Rich Paul called teams to NOT draft Bronny | First Take

a beautiful Friday morning I’m Christine Williamson here for Molly carum we got a squad here Jay Will Smith of course what up big boy what up baby hello Christine hello hello I’m great how are you uh perk will be joining us in just a little bit you guys ready to get things started always he late he’s just a little late he’s always late I talk to him I got to talk to perk about that he’s always late you know I got to talk to him got I I got to get on now what’s going on think they going to be scared to say s we ain’t scared whatever he’s a very busy man all right let’s get things started you know exactly where we’re starting things off yesterday history was made when bronnie James’s name was called in the second round of the 2024 draft he was taken at number 55 overall joining his dad on the Lakers roster Lakers GM Rob palinka spoke about the very historic day take a listen in the history of the NBA there’s never been um a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court and that feels like something that could be magical and we know and have to respect of course that LeBron has a decision about his opt out um and I’m sure he and his family and his agent will deliberate what they’re going to do there and of course he has freedom to decide whatever’s best for him and his family but but if it worked out that he was on our team next season NBA history could be made and NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform if it works out LeBron reacted to the news that he and his son bronnie are now Lakers teammates on Instagram posting a photo of the two when bronnie was a child and another photo of the two of them in purple and gold with a one-word caption Legacy yesterday Bob Myers had some very interesting things to say about Bron’s agent R Rich Paul take a listen right now Rich Paul’s calling teams don’t take bronnie James he’s telling him do not take him okay saying don’t take him if you take him he’s going to Australia so he has a plan and he has a place Kendrick Perkins is finally joining us hello good morning how you doing man you’re doing good it’s good to see you good to see you happy Friday all right I called you the other day I can’t get a call back uhhuh can’t get a call back oh oh all right I’m gonna start with you what is what’s your reaction to What Bob Myers had to say I mean first of all let me let me say this right uh congratulations to bronnie and all the young men that got drafted over the past two days right dreams come true uh congratulations to LeBron James Savannah and bronny especially right because they they’re on the verge of making history when LeBron James do sign his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and they figure that out okay I’m genuinely happy for them but Rich Paul Rich Paul see the problem I have with Rich Paul is is that my thing is over the last few weeks he’s been doing interviews and he’s been saying things like you know it’s not a big deal and we’re not trying to uh focus on LeBron and bronny playing together but Stephen A I’m going go back to the line that I love that you use okay I love it my one of my favorite lines from you if it walk like a duck if it quack like a duck damn it is not a mongoose and so all signs have been leading up to bronny being drafted by the Lakers so him and his dad could share the floor together and and be on the same team I mean just think about it he only worked out for two teams the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns okay cool on top of that after what Bob Myers said yesterday about that rich Paul were calling teenss and saying don’t draft Brony I mean that was another sign to say you know what he’s going to be in a Laker uniform and it’s okay my thing is with Rich Paul is don’t try to make people out there to try to make people to look like liars right when we knew that it was some truth to those rumors that LeBron James wanted to play with Brony and it’s okay yeah perk you know I I hear you but there there is the game of politics that always needs to be played in these certain situations and as much as we want people to keep it real and always keep it a buck like you you have to play the game to a degree and I I I have first off I mean Aaron Riley did this the year before with Austin Reeves when they formatted a similar plan right it just the world didn’t know about it but people internally knew that you know they were telling teams hey do not draft Austin Reeds because they had a plan uh even though that’s not things that you were hearing people say in the public there is about posturing and kind of positioning things where nobody needs a narrative from the beginning that rich Paul is supposed to come out and just say LeBron’s you know Bron’s going to play LeBron and this is it like I I don’t think that behooves or puts him in the position of strength in case something does happen even though he can make those things feel that way we all know how the game of politics is being played so I don’t I don’t really hold rich Paul to any slight or disappointment by playing the game of politics even though we knew what the situation was going to be but it’s around positioning the chest pieces on the table to actually get it to subit itself with the 55th pick well a couple of things let’s say let’s say a couple things first of all I’ll start off the same way Kendrick Perkin started off congratulations to bronny James and it’s heartfelt I’m one of the I’m one of the rare people in this country that has never seen bronnie James play I’ve never seen him play ever like a game on TV nothing I never wanted to watch him and the reason I never wanted to watch him until he got to you know if he was at us you know in USC that would have been different I was just busy last season but the bottom line is I always felt that he was put in a really really unfair position and the scrutiny that would come down upon him was inevitable and if I saw him everybody would be like yo what you GNA say and I didn’t want to touch that espe and then when he had the cardiac arrest I mean to know we all scared to death all of us you me everybody I mean no you know you scared to death cuz this kid has such a wonderful life ahead ofon James the father Savannah James the mother wonderful wonderful parents obviously did a great job raising them you wish him nothing but the best you’re very very happy for them now let’s get to the other stuff what you brought up what KP brought up the sound that we played to Rob palinka who personally speaking I like that’s one of the most pathetic press conferences we’ve ever seen I picked up the phone and called Frank Valentini you don’t know that name let me tell you who that name is as executive producer General Hospital I said you need a writer you’re another producer you need because all I said go watch the press conference yesterday and I said you got I said I got some talent for you on the production side on the writer side use that man right there this my I mean but as a basketball VP this one of the most pathetic press conferences I’ve ever seen Rob pinka what’s wrong with you bro I mean we drafted LeBron we drafted bronnie right it’s it’s just and now if LeBron James you know if that works out and we’ll have to wait and see the man is is is is in La the man has said for years all he wants to do is play with his son the team that he’s on right now just drafted them okay you’re the guy who drafted them and somebody’s going to have to explain to me what the all the high fives are about when you know that you’re picking somebody and that everybody is I mean it’s like we you know I’m not I’m I’m again like that like that’s surprise let’s high five one another and hug one another what the hell is all of that go I said yo Frank yo I mean we doing great the ratings General Hospital but you got to see this I mean you got to Rob pinka should be working for General Hospital so that’s number one in a more serious not and I’m just having fun with you rob in a more serious level let me tell big perk something about rich Paul Rich Paul is somebody first of all I love him we all love Rich we all love rich I mean he he get on our damn nerves sometimes stuff like that because it’s Rich Paul you understand that’s what he tend to do but we all got PL for him you must learn perk how to ignore him now I know that rich Paul like to go on podcast and be like yeah nobody told me to shut the hell up and all of this yeah we do because Rich Paul think he a producer I don’t know if you know this if you get rich Paul thinks that rich Paul should be sitting where we sitting Rich Paul thinks that he should be sitting behind the scenes where the producers are and producing I’m telling you what I know this brother tries to produce Sports television shows this is what he tries to do you should be saying this man shut the hell up and do your do your job and let us do our job of course Rich Paul like you just said he’s going to do that there’s nothing to be offended by masterful politician no problem with that though I think what perk is speaking to and we’re certainly not comparing Rich Paul to who I’m about to bring up but I’m just using this example that I’m about to bring up to crystallize the point in a far more innocuous way Lance Armstrong we knew your ass was on steroids we knew we knew you going to lie about it religiously perpetually all right but our issue was how you were willing to hurt people along the way when you knew you were lying in a far more innocuous harmless way that’s basically what Kendrick perk is alluded to Rich Paul will know this he’s doing exactly what you said but he will talk about folks who see through it like you are completely lost you have no clue you have no idea what you talk about when he knows you’re right that is what perk is alluding to with Rich Paul I’ve just learned to love Rich Paul for because I understand it’s harmless he’s got to do what he’s got to do and all of this other stuff but the man knows what he’s doing he’s elevated in this business we’ve got profound respect and love for him but I got respect for all the brothers and I’m apologize I’m going look at America in the face I ain’t apologizing that to anybody Eric and Aaron Goodwin uh Bill Duffy Bill Duffy let’s remember that okay let’s not forget those days Rich Paul ain’t the only black agent out there doing big things he’s got people working under him doing big things for clutch Sports they deserve some love too so I’m rooting for all of them I ain’t rooting against anybody that’s all big perk was talking about rich Paul calling teams Bob Meers and W was telling me yesterday teams do this all the time what Rich Paul was doing yesterday they do every damn draft it’s nothing new it’s just that Rob pinka and you know was was was trying to audition for a spot on General Hospital and and and Rich Paul you know was was buying in that’s all that’s all was going can can I okay so I’m glad we got all out the way got all that out the way good I I want to get your opinion both you and perk on something so last night I hear W talk about I don’t want to hear anything around nepotism right neither do I and by the way I saw you on get up and I completely agree with go ahead yeah that that that’s my point I want say to the audience again so big perk I feel as if first off I think nepotism has a different definition because I’ve been in a lot of rooms where I’ve seen it to people who aren’t worthy of the opportunity and if you’re not worthy of the opportunity then I’m going to get angry about the opportunity you were afforded but I understand how the game is played 99.9% of the time none of those people look like us perk and I think when I saw this chatter online from people that look like us I’m like hold on don’t we need more instances of black nepotism especially when that person has the disposition and the demeanor of somebody that’s worthy of being put in that position okay so from my when I look at bronnie I watched games I’ve seen games where he showed up the games two and a half hours early that’s right where he stayed after the games working out where I’ve talked to him and he said the right things after late of games he’s on a basketball will cour shooting even the way he’s handled the McDonald’s All-American Game even the way LeBron has handled his career why is that not worthy of the opportunity of being drafted in the second round which by the way none of these fans could tell me any other player that was drafted with the 55th pick in the second round of any other year in the draft but it’s not a guaranteed contract and it’s the opportunity for him to prove what he needs to prove thank you to bronnie and LeBron James because they made the NBA draft right like the most talked about Prospect in the draft and he was the 55th pick that’s what made it interesting I want I can’t wait to see what the ratings are coming out tomorrow because I know everybody was waiting it blew up the internet because it was a special moment but here’s the thing you should be proud of it you should be proud of it when it comes out to nepotism because think about this nobody ever talks about this but Giannis when Giannis does something his brother the nastes that’s I hope I’m saying that right you know it took me a while correct start yes he’s been on the bench with Yiannis I think what for the last five six years and we know we know if Giannis was not Giannis on the Copo that the the nases would not be in the NBA I’m okay with it I’m okay with it because if you have an opportunity to flex and show how powerful you are as a black man or black individual and you could pull those strings damn it do it it’s been done all over the world we’ve seen it time and time again we seen it in these spaces that we’re in right now Jay will we seen it in the spaces in the NBA it’s been around for years so if you have an opportunity to do it and flex your power damn it have at it let me say something and I’m going to get a little deep with this forgive me and if it gets to a point where I get personal with it so be it it’s on me we live in a country where nepotism has taken place with white folks religiously forever we’ve said little to nothing about it in the NBA specifically in a league where at least 70% of the players are black we’ve seen nepotism with white folks all over the place ownership executive ranks player Personnel scouting coaching mhm the list goes on and on we’ve said little to nothing about it and now this happens with LeBron James a member of the Mount Rushmore of basketball and all of a sudden you’ve got people running their mouths LeBron James is approaching 40 years of age he ain’t somebody that faded into the Twilight he’s still an all World Player LeBron James if LeBron James was on the New York Knicks now you trying to tell me the New York Knicks wouldn’t be one of the favorites to win the chip right now approaching age 40 so to be in Los Angeles to still be box office to still be the magnifying talent that he is yes he has manipulated the proceedings somewhat we get that bronny James would not be on an NBA roster if it were not for LeBron James he would not have gotten drafted in all like Hood yesterday if it were not for LeBron James we all know this we accept it the issue is the resentment that’s emanating from people out there how dare you resent LeBron James and if you’re LeBron James be mindful see now you’re going to hear people book it book it this this is my expertise media I’m telling you what I know book this in the days and the weeks to come we GNA bring up how he took his talents to South Beach we gonna bring up how he went back to Cleveland we’re gonna bring up how he once held free agency hostage you’re gonna hear all of these things along the way because it’s a resentment of power you see people regardless of the great businessman he has proven to be you understand the the you know the great talent he has proven to be the great influencer he has proven to be on a multitude of levels I’m not saying everybody because business is business and you got white folks out there that’s all about business they want to make money they don’t give a damn what color you are or what have you black white and in between but the vast majority of people that are going to speak what they’re saying without saying it is that they just want you to be an athlete they don’t want you to have the cache to be able to manipulate the proceedings to be able to do something like you know what I want this I want this person on this roster I want this coach what have we gotten mad about with LeBron the coaches it wasn’t the fact that coaches are changing it’s like yo LeBron own it if that’s what you want you don’t want doin ham you don’t want him you want JJ reck that’s what you want you want this coach this you are you Michael Jordan was Unapologetic Phil Jackson I don’t give a damn what any of y’all say if Phil goes I go that’s it you never you never flexed about it you never you never Fred over it because Michael Jordan saids so even in this day and age I’m looking at you I’m looking at a guy big perk and Jay Williams Jay Williams everybody talk about you your basketball analyst all this stuff they just shove aside National Player of the Year National Champion Big Time play I believe you’re the best player in the history of Duke program that’s what that’s my personal opinion that’s how I feel they never say that you they never say that they don’t really and I’m G to say it on National Television when Jay when Jay Williams was at Duke University J Williams bust some people’s ass and I’m seeing people on television they talking about all these other people they didn’t know I mean you would that do you understand what I’m trying to say you’re number two overall pick for a reason they sit up here now my name is in the news all the time we know why they look at me at first take on their talent do I not have a production company do I not produce content do I not have other stuff going on Jay Williams big perk but you talk about as a talent because America not everybody not most but a lot of people are about stay in your place stay in your lane and LeBron James has religiously been about the business of defining his own lane and showing that I don’t have a lane I got Avenues and I’m coming this way and you ain’t going to do anything about it because I represent what I represent how it’s supposed to be represented on the highest level and I’ve earned the right to be able to have this kind of power where I can manipulate proceedings to some degree that is what we should be applauding LeBron James about because he’s highlighting not only what we can do but what so many people in this world don’t want us to do [Music]

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins and Jay Williams react to Bronny James being drafted to the Los Angeles Lakers, making history as the father-son duo in the NBA.
#firsttake #nba #espn

0:00 Reaction to Bob Myers saying Rich Paul called teams to not draft Bronny
4:50 Jay Williams reacts to Bob Myers’ comments
8:30 Stephen A.‘s thoughts on Rich Paul calling teams to not draft Bronny
12:50 Jay Williams on Bronny James’ work ethic
16:00 Stephen A. doesn’t like the backlash LeBron is getting after the Lakers drafted Bronny

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