LeBron James had expressed his desire to play with his son Bronny James for the last few years and their agent Rich Paul was determined to ensure that the dream became reality. During an appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Paul was asked how important it was for him that father and son became teammates and he kept it real.
“It was very important for me to make that happen, being there when he was born,” Paul said.
It sure did seem like Paul did what he could to ensure Bronny ended up being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. For starters, the 19-year-old only worked out with two teams, the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. It was reported that other teams tried to get the teenager in their building, but weren’t able to.
Then on draft night, Bob Myers reported that Paul had warned NBA teams not to select Bronny, as he would go play in Australia if they did. It seemed fairly clear that he was directing his client to the Lakers and ended up succeeding in that quest.
While Paul’s actions might have left a sour taste in the mouths of some, I doubt he has been losing much sleep over it. The 43-year-old wanted to help fulfill LeBron’s goal and did just that.
Thanks to Paul, LeBron and Bronny will become the first-ever father-son duo to play together in the NBA in the 2024-25 season. It will be a momentous occasion when they step out on the court for the first time and it looks like it might happen on opening night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rich Paul Spoke On His Journey To Becoming LeBron James’ Agent
Paul met LeBron for the first time in 2002 and it was only 10 years later, that he became his agent. While the two always got along well, James wasn’t just going to let him handle his affairs without being certain that he was the right man for the job. In this episode, Paul spoke about his journey to becoming LeBron’s agent.
“You can’t skip steps. I didn’t start representing LeBron until my ninth year. He came into the league in ’03, and I started representing him in 2012.”
“Prior to that, I did all these different things, and he was able to look from afar and say, ‘The plane leaves at 2, Rich ain’t late. Rich missed the boat trip, why? Oh, because he’s at Boo Williams Tournament.’”
“I wasn’t trying to just be there for the gear, I wanted that too, but I wasn’t there just for that. When they call on me, I’m a consumer, so I know exactly what to say, and I’m not afraid to say it, in front of him or anybody else.”
“Today, I created a business card; we didn’t have that before. You had the relationship, but you didn’t have the position. All these agents, they didn’t relate to the player like that. You can’t skip steps.”
Paul didn’t skip any steps, so when he left CAA to found Klutch Sports in 2012, LeBron followed him. James certainly hasn’t regretted that decision one bit and the partnership has proven to be quite beneficial for both parties.
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