NBA front offices are all about nepotism

[Johnny Bball]

Isn't nepotism just family DEI? Thought these rich dudes hated that? Lol

Its worse than DEI as DEI usually implies a helping hand for whatever reason that might be, this is DEI for the successful/elite.

[Deivork]

While this is a real issue in the world, let me just add now that being related to someone doesn't make you unqualified for a job.

[NYKnickerbocker]

While this is a real issue in the world, let me just add now that being related to someone doesn't make you unqualified for a job.

Definitely gives you a better opportunity to show that your unqualified with less consequences lmao

[whitehops]

walmart is a "family-owned" business even though it was started solely by sam walton, is anyone complaining?

[Roger Murdock]

I think part of the reason people love sports is that it’s the purest meritocracy in the world

You don’t have the owners son playing point guard for the Lakers. You don’t have the owners son playing cornerback trying to stay in front of Justin Jefferson. You don’t have Baron Trump falling over hurdles at the Olympics.

In sports, the most deserving people get the jobs.

I think this is why the Bronny and Giannis things don’t sit right with some people as it’s against the spirit of sports in general.

People expect nepotism everywhere else

[ghillphx]

The whole american economy is built on nepotism

People need to stop calling out "America" for all its problems and realize these are things that occur worldwide. Travel a bit more.

[og15]

I think part of the reason people love sports is that it’s the purest meritocracy in the world

You don’t have the owners son playing point guard for the Lakers. You don’t have the owners son playing cornerback trying to stay in front of Justin Jefferson. You don’t have Baron Trump falling over hurdles at the Olympics.

In sports, the most deserving people get the jobs.

I think this is why the Bronny and Giannis things don’t sit right with some people as it’s against the spirit of sports in general.

People expect nepotism everywhere else

Well, that's a statement with caveats.

To some degree, yes, as in, of course you can't make a guy who isn't a star to be one. In comparison, a judge can't make her daughter a judge too, she has to go to law school, pass the bar, etc, etc too. A doctor can't make his daughter a doctor too, she has to make it to med school, pass, pass licensing, etc. What they can do though is provide their child connections for better opportunities, for a foot in the door, and put them in the path to opportunities. They can get their child into a level of practice early in their career that off the street someone at that stage doesn't generally get.

Similarly in sports, there's definitely the same thing, sure a guy isn't a rotation player even, but you can get him in the G-league or at the end of a bench with connections.

Zaire Wade is worse than Bronny and not even a G-league caliber player, but he played on a G-league team, why?

Sports have never been devoid of nepotism, it's not going to be at the top, but it will show up in the margins. A guy can get a chance over someone that is technically better or more productive because of connections (agents close to management or coaches), but these are generally end of bench guys no one knows anyways, and therefore it's not interesting. With Bronny and Giannis' brothers, their names are not random unknown, and we now the connection, which is why it's more "interesting".

[Black Jack]

walmart is a "family-owned" business even though it was started solely by sam walton, is anyone complaining?

walmart is run by professional managers

that said some nepo is to be expected but we're tipping over into asian/african failed state tyranny levels in the USA now

[HotelVitale]

One thing I think we don't talk enough about is how much a GM/FO's job is hemmed in by ownership, and how much managing ownership is a part of the job.

I don't think sports fans actually have great senses of the politics of owners and FOs, and from working in and around govt for a while I can say without hesitation that there's probably more weirdness and complexity there than most of us are thinking. When that does come up in sports conversations, it seems like we usually talk about it either as not very relevant to the real hard decisions or else as totally corrupt and screwed--when it's probably more like people searching after competence but sometimes having to take some detours or dips into nepo/random owner emotions nonsense.

[dirkdiggler4177]

The whole american economy is built on nepotism

People need to stop calling out "America" for all its problems and realize these are things that occur worldwide. Travel a bit more.

I live in Norway
Our system is built on a different model. If you and your family come here when you are, for example, 16, you, like everybody else, get a free education. If you want to go to, for example, medical school, the only thing that counts is your grades. That means Norway got one, if not the best, chance to climb the economic ladder. The chance of also becoming a millionaire as an entrepreneur is bigger in Norway.

So no, these things don't occur worldwide, at least not close to the extent of America.

[ghillphx]

The whole american economy is built on nepotism

People need to stop calling out "America" for all its problems and realize these are things that occur worldwide. Travel a bit more.

I live in Norway
Our system is built on a different model. If you and your family come here when you are, for example, 16, you, like everybody else, get a free education. If you want to go to, for example, medical school, the only thing that counts is your grades. That means Norway got one, if not the best, chance to climb the economic ladder. The chance of also becoming a millionaire as an entrepreneur is bigger in Norway.

So no, these things don't occur worldwide, at least not close to the extent of America.

You're saying this and you don't live in the US? So you're making assumptions about the US? Please bro.

[dirkdiggler4177]

People need to stop calling out "America" for all its problems and realize these are things that occur worldwide. Travel a bit more.

I live in Norway
Our system is built on a different model. If you and your family come here when you are, for example, 16, you, like everybody else, get a free education. If you want to go to, for example, medical school, the only thing that counts is your grades. That means Norway got one, if not the best, chance to climb the economic ladder. The chance of also becoming a millionaire as an entrepreneur is bigger in Norway.

So no, these things don't occur worldwide, at least not close to the extent of America.

You're saying this and you don't live in the US? So you're making assumptions about the US? Please bro.

What exact assumption have I made, just so we don't talk past each other?
Also, I don't think I need to live in a country to make an assumption about it. For example, would you say you have no clue how North Korea's economy is doing because you don't live there?