Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul managed to include New York Knicks owner James Dolan’s name into the mix when he spoke under the bright spotlight Bronny James has been on ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Paul was less than enthusiastic in his recent remarks about Dolan. He labeled him the poster child for nepotism in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes when he talked about the attention James has received in the media and in mock drafts because of his father, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James (h /t Jordanna Clark of the Daily Knicks):
“When you look at America as a whole, it is built on nepotism. Nobody is talking about Jim Dolan. He owns the Knicks, but his father started a business. Same with Casey Wasserman. Lou Wasserman started a business. I have a lot of friends who come from very wealthy families whose families have started businesses, and when it’s their turn to take matters into their own hands, they don’t sit on the couch. They are trying to improve it,” Paul noted.
Paul’s references are not incorrect. Dolan’s father, billionaire Charles Dolan, purchased the Knicks in 1994 as the founder of Cablevision. This allowed the Dolan family to guide the Knicks to great success for the remainder of the decade, extending to the young Dolan taking over the reins in 1999. However, in the NBA and professional sports as a whole, the entry of a player in the league is based on merit and not name recognition. Michael Jordan and his offspring are a perfect example of this.