USC guard Bronny James greets his father, Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, after the team’s NCAA college basketball game against California in Berkeley, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. • JJ Redick coined a phrase this week at his introductory Lakers news conference, “the engagement farming industry.” In This Space, it’s known as the hot take industry, mainly TV but not exclusively: Take one top-of-mind story and beat the bejabbers out of it.
• Not long after, the draft ads featuring LeBron and Bronny were already circulating. In fairness, though, the Beats by Dre ad, portraying a backyard shootout, was released in 2022. …Nike released this ad to celebrate Bronny James, who is heading to the Los Angeles Lakers as the No. 55 overall pick in the NBA Draft.• Not long after the selection, the word “nepotism” was in the air.
• And what happens when Bronny decides he just needs his space from Dad for a while? It’s inevitable. Anyone who’s ever been a parent – or been parented – will understand the signs. … This year’s College World Series, won by Tennessee, was an all-SEC affair for the third time in four years and the fifth straight victory by an SEC team. But in fact the Southeast has dominated NCAA tournament fields for nearly a couple of decades now. Baseball was one sport where the non-power conference schools, especially those in the West, had a legitimate chance, but that faded once the bigs started throwing serious money at the sport.