Austin Rivers is likely one of the most attention-grabbing NBA gamers of his explicit technology.
Popping out of highschool and faculty, Austin was considered by some as a probably generational expertise.
“All of the GMs skeptical about Austin Rivers are fallacious,” Skip Bayless famously stated about him when he declared for the draft. “Has star high quality, supreme confidence. Clearly not Kobe [Bryant], however shall be superb.”
Because it seems, the skeptics have been proper. Austin struggled to seek out his place within the league earlier than finally settling into one thing of a task participant place.
This week Austin appeared on The Ringer podcast and provided his ideas on Bronny James securing $7 million in NIL offers earlier than taking part in a single recreation in faculty.
“We all know why [Bronny] acquired that,” Austin stated.
“He acquired that as a result of he’s the son of LeBron James. I used to be the primary participant within the nation. Bronny’s not even- what’s Bronny ranked? There was no fluctuation with me. I used to be one. I used to be primary within the nation.”
Austin isn’t fallacious, however he additionally isn’t the very best particular person to name out nepotism within the NBA. After he flamed out with the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans, he regarded like he is likely to be out of the league quickly.
The one factor that salvaged Austin’s profession was his dad, Doc Rivers, stepping up and providing him a spot on the Los Angeles Clippers.
That revived his standing across the NBA and allowed him to spend the final 4 years bouncing round from the Washington Wizards to the Houston Rockets to the New York Knicks to the Denver Nuggets to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Bronny might not be the No. 1 participant within the nation, however NBA scouts are fairly united on how they understand him. There’s a purpose 9 colleges are combating over him and one clear frontrunner for his providers has emerged.
And it’s not just like the NIL stuff means something. Olivia Dunne is likely one of the highest paid collegiate athletes round and all she does is put up provocative movies in lodge rooms along with her teammates.
Once more, the substance of Austin’s evaluation isn’t off the mark. It’s simply humorous that he, one of many largest beneficiaries of nepotism in current sports activities historical past, is the one calling Bronny out.
Erin Andrews is having herself fairly the NFL offseason.https://t.co/XOjKdVy8Il
— Sport 7 (@game7__) April 9, 2023
Then once more, Austin has by no means been one to chew his tongue. Between the best way he referred to as out the Los Angeles Lakers over their dealing with of Russell Westbrook and what he stated about taking part in for his dad, the person calls it how he sees it.
Will LeBron or Bronny finally reply to Austin in some capability going ahead?
Time will inform.
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