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U.S. Department of Education investigates Katy ISD’s gender policy that led to trans student dropout

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U.S. Department of Education investigates Katy ISD’s gender policy that led to trans student dropout

KATY, Texas (KTRK) — Katy ISD’s controversial new gender policy requires parents to be notified if students identify themselves as transgender, and it’s impact is becoming clearer.

Kade Carter is a lot of things: a gamer, a musician, and a son.

But, the 17-year-old, who has won awards for his poetry and artwork, is a high school dropout.

“I miss a lot of my friends. I tried online school for a little bit. Not my style, too much ADHD, too much. Simply too much,” he laughed.

Kade is transgender.

“I think for a long time I had known that I wasn’t a girl and I just didn’t want to open that can of worms. I think a lot of my life I had been making excuses for myself, trying to not be who I was out of fear of what that meant for me because I saw how people were treated and I didn’t want to be treated like that. No one wants to be treated like that,” he said. “When I finally did, it wasn’t surprising. I knew that I was going to experience pushback and harassment, lots of harassment. The surprise was how good it felt to be authentic.”

When he was 14, a Mayde Creek high school freshman, he told his parents, friends, and some teachers.

They were all supportive.

Then, it all changed.

Last August, Katy ISD narrowly passed a controversial gender policy that requires district staff to inform parents if students identify themselves as transgender.

Students are required to use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their sex assigned at birth.

Kade was one of nearly 100 people to take to the podium against the policy.

The board meeting was seven hours long.

“At the end of the night after everyone opened their hearts and told these people about the impacts of what they were going to do, they did it anyway,” he said.

The policy eventually passed by a 4 to 3 vote, with board members saying it informs parents and protects teachers.

Kade said he was stopped by his Spanish teacher the day after the policy passed,

“She held me up at the door, pointed at my legal name on the roster, and said, ‘We’re going back to this one now. Okay.’ And the way she said, ‘Okay,’ wasn’t a question. It was a statement. She was going to do this, and she did. And I walked out of class. I got up and left,” Kade explained.

Kade’s father began to worry about bullying and safety.

Less than a week later, he unenrolled Kade.

“People fear what they don’t understand. And do I think that some of the people who made my life a living hell are jumping up and down in satisfaction that they finally got rid of that one person they don’t like,” Kade said. “But, at the end of the day, I did it for my mental health, for my peace.”

After a year off school, Kade’s father hopes to enroll him in another school district to finish high school.

But, other school boards, including Conroe ISD’s board, are exploring passing similar policies, even as the U.S. Department of Education investigates whether the policy is discriminatory.

“I hope that other districts look at what happened to our district, see the pain that it’s been causing, and look at us and say, ‘I don’t want to be like that,” he said.

At 17, Kade is too young to vote.

But, there is one thing he can keep doing.

“Some things are worth the ridicule, and the threats, and the nonstop harassment,” he said. “And I think if anything is worth that, then being yourself is.”

Steve Bannon to report to prison on Monday after Supreme Court denies his request to delay sentence

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Steve Bannon to report to prison on Monday after Supreme Court denies his request to delay sentence

The U.S. Supreme Court Friday denied ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s request to remain out of prison while he continues to appeal his contempt of Congress conviction.

Bannon earlier this month was ordered by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols to report to prison by July 1 to begin serving his four-month sentence.

The U.S. Supreme Court Friday denied ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s request to remain out of prison while he continues to appeal his contempt of Congress conviction.

Bannon earlier this month was ordered by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols to report to prison by July 1 to begin serving his four-month sentence.

FILE - Steve Bannon appears in court in New York, Jan. 12, 2023.
FILE – Steve Bannon appears in court in New York, Jan. 12, 2023.Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool, File

After Bannon was sentenced, Nichols agreed to postpone the jail term while Bannon appealed the conviction.

He ordered Bannon to report to prison after the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Bannon’s conviction last month.

Bannon last Friday filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to remain out of prison.

The Supreme Court provided no vote breakdown in its decision to deny his request.

Humble teen who murdered mom and put her body in a trunk in 2022 sentenced to 40 years

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Humble teen who murdered mom and put her body in a trunk in 2022 sentenced to 40 years

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The Humble teen who murdered his mother and drove across the country with her body in a trunk less than two years ago will spend the next 40 years in prison.

Now 19-year-old Tyler Roenz, who was 17 at the time of the killing, took a plea deal in Harris County.

Authorities say Tyler killed his mother, 49-year-old Michelle Roenz, while the two were at home on Oct. 13, 2022. He then put her body in the trunk of the family car, a black Mazda, and drove north.

After noticing their car was gone, Tyler’s father told investigators that his wife and son were missing. He also found a human tooth and blood inside their Humble home.

A CLEAR Alert prompted a frantic search for the mother and son, and detectives say they found suspicious charges on Michelle’s credit card out of Oklahoma and Kansas.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Missing Humble mom’s body was in car involved in chase with son driving, source tells ABC13

Authorities haven’t confirmed whether an Humble mom who disappeared Thursday is the body found three states away where her son was involved in a chase.

Shortly after, law enforcement were able to track Tyler using license plate readers as he drove through Oklahoma and Kansas.

A day following the murder, Tyler was arrested in Nebraska after leading troopers on a chase and crashing his car.

Michelle’s body was found stuffed in the trunk of the car and an autopsy report found she had been strangled and beaten.

Tyler was hospitalized from the crash and eventually released and extradited back to Texas.

He also plead guilty to tampering with evidence in exchange for a sentence of 20 years, which he will serve concurrently. Two other felonies were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Tyler must serve at least half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole and cannot appeal the convictions or prison sentences.

SEE PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Supreme Court overturns 40-year-old Chevron case decision impacting regulatory authority

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Supreme Court overturns 40-year-old Chevron case decision impacting regulatory authority

The Supreme Court on Friday overturned a 40-year-old decision that had made it easier for the federal government to regulate the environment, public health, workplace safety, and consumer protections. This ruling marks a significant victory for business interests.

The court’s six conservative justices overturned the 1984 decision known as Chevron, a long-standing target of conservatives aiming to reduce regulatory power. The liberal justices dissented.

The case represents the court’s most definitive rejection of what critics of regulation call the administrative state. Billions of dollars could be affected by challenges resulting from this ruling. The Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer had warned that such a decision would cause an “unwarranted shock to the legal system.”

The Chevron decision allowed federal agencies to interpret unclear laws, a power critics argued should reside with judges. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, stated that “courts must exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority.”

Justice Elena Kagan, in her dissent, argued that the decision undermines agency authority and ignores congressional intent. She described the decision as a further effort by the court to limit agency power, following a ruling just a day earlier that restricted the Securities and Exchange Commission’s anti-fraud capabilities.

The case originated from a challenge by Atlantic herring fishermen against a fee requirement upheld by lower courts using the Chevron decision. Business and conservative groups supported the fishermen, seeing an opportunity to further limit regulatory power.

The Supreme Court had not invoked Chevron since 2016, though lower courts continued to apply it. The original 1984 ruling had argued for judicial deference to agency expertise, a stance the current conservative majority has increasingly questioned.

In his opinion, Roberts challenged the idea that legal interpretation should defer to agency expertise, emphasizing the judicial department’s role. Kagan, however, argued that removing Chevron shifts control to courts over areas they are less knowledgeable about.

Fisherman Bill Bright praised the ruling, stating it would help protect the livelihoods of fishing families. The White House, meanwhile, criticized the decision as a backward step influenced by special interests.

Federal agencies and the Justice Department had already begun to rely less on Chevron in developing new regulations. Various advocacy groups and Democrats had urged the court to maintain the decision.

Environmental lawyer Sambhav Sankar warned that the ruling undermines the regulatory framework, giving corporations more power to challenge regulations and threatening the legitimacy of existing protections.

Business groups, including those from the gun, e-cigarette, farm, timber, and home-building sectors, supported the fishermen’s case. The fishermen argued that Congress never authorized regulators to impose the contested fee, a position the lower courts rejected using Chevron. The Supreme Court heard two cases on the issue, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused from one due to her involvement in an earlier stage.

The ruling represents a significant shift in the balance of regulatory power, with far-reaching implications for federal agencies and their authority.

Jocelyn Nungaray’s murder prompts Abbott, Hidalgo to debate immigration policies

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Jocelyn Nungaray’s murder prompts Abbott, Hidalgo to debate immigration policies

HOUSTON (AP) — As 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, found dead in a north Houston creek last week, is laid to rest Thursday afternoon, her death continues to spark national outrage and has evolved into a dispute among Texas leaders over the nation’s immigration policies.

The latest public outcry came from the state’s top official, who condemned the leader of Texas’ largest county just one day before Nungaray’s funeral. On Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo a “con artist,” referencing her remarks about the two Venezuelan-born men charged with capital murder for the Houston girl’s death. In her remarks at the commissioner’s court, Hidalgo pointed to former President Donald Trump and Republicans for failing to reach an agreement with Democrats. Both men were given $10 million bonds this week and are in custody. Harris County prosecutors are still determining if charges should be upgraded to the death penalty, a move Abbott has already suggested.

“What a con artist. The murderers crossed the border illegally with the Biden administration’s permission. They were set free to roam the country. Biden did NOTHING to detain these criminals. He is an accomplice to this crime. SECURE THE BORDER. PERIOD,” Abbott wrote on X.

Abbott’s response referenced an interview with Hidalgo on Tuesday, where she discussed the case, saying, “Evil happens regardless of immigration status.” She added, “When the former President decided that he did not want Biden to have a win on immigration, he told his party to pull out of that agreement. So blaming things on the current immigration policy is absolutely political, and it really breaks my heart that people would politicize the sadness of that tragedy.”

When reporters asked her if she believed Harris County is a “place where immigrants come because of lax enforcement of laws,” Hidalgo expressed her frustration that the case was being used to discuss immigration policy. “To me, it hurts even more that they’re being used as pawns in this fight over immigration that doesn’t even exist because Biden and McConnell agree it’s just that Trump won’t let them move it forward,” she added.

Afterward, FOX26 reporter Greg Groogan pressed Hidalgo further, asking if she was “politicizing” the case by pointing to the opposite party. Hidalgo responded, “I think I answered the question; this is about Jocelyn; this is about her family. Again, the Biden Administration reached an agreement with leader McConnell to address this, but this is not about immigration. I’m not going to feed into that.”

Hidalgo’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Nungaray’s death sent shockwaves across the nation due to its gruesome details. She was found in a bayou near her home on June 16 after sneaking out of her family’s apartment. Police said she walked to a convenience store, was on the phone with her boyfriend, and was later approached by two men asking for directions. Her body was found under a bridge on 400 Rankin Rd, where police said the men tied her, assaulted her, took off her pants, and then strangled her before dumping her body in the nearby creek.

Her funeral on Thursday is set to be attended by her family, the Houston community, and local elected officials, including Mayor John Whitmire.

Former Uvalde police chief indicted over response to Robb Elementary shooting

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Former Uvalde police chief indicted over response to Robb Elementary shooting

UVALDE, Texas — The former Uvalde schools police chief was indicted over his role in the slow police response to the 2022 massacre at a Texas elementary school that left 19 children and two teachers dead, the local sheriff said Thursday.

Pete Arredondo was indicted by a grand jury on 10 counts of felony child endangerment/abandonment and briefly booked into the county jail before he was released on bond, Uvalde Sheriff Ruben Nolasco told The Associated Press in a text message Thursday night.

The Uvalde Leader-News and the San Antonio Express-News reported that former school officer Adrian Gonzales also was indicted on multiple similar charges. The Uvalde Leader-News reported that District Attorney Christina Mitchell confirmed the indictment.

Mitchell did not return phone and email messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. Several family members of victims of the shooting did not respond to phone messages seeking comment.

The indictments make Arredondo, who was the on-site commander during the attack, and Gonzales the first officers to face criminal charges in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. A scathing report by Texas lawmakers that examined the police response described Gonzales as one of the first officers to enter the building after the shooting began.

SEE ALSO: Nearly 2 years after the Uvalde shooting, who has been reprimanded and where investigations stand?

The indictments were kept under seal until the men were in custody. It was unclear when Arredondo’s indictment would be publicly released.

Over two years ago, an 18-year-old gunman opened fire in a fourth grade classroom, where he remained for more than 70 minutes before officers confronted and killed him. In total, 376 law enforcement officers massed at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, some waiting in the hallway outside the classroom, even as the gunman could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle inside.

“Today is another day in an impossibly painful journey,” state Rep. Joe Moody, who helped the state lawmakers investigation, posted on the social platform X. “The hurt for them will never subside. Today, I pray that there is justice and some sense of closure for them in this process rather than prolonged suffering.”

The office of a former attorney for Arredondo said they did not know whether the former chief has new representation. The AP could not immediately find a phone number to reach Gonzales.

Arredondo lost his job three months after the shooting. Several officers involved were eventually fired, and separate investigations by the Department of Justice and state lawmakers faulted law enforcement with botching their response to the massacre.

Whether any officers would face criminal charges over their actions in Uvalde has been a question hanging over the city of 15,000 since the Texas Rangers completed their investigation and turned their findings over to prosecutors.

Mitchell’s office has also come under scrutiny. Uvalde city officials filed a lawsuit in 2022 that accused prosecutors of not being transparent and withholding records related to the shooting. Media outlets, including the AP, also sued Uvalde officials for withholding records requested under public information laws.

But body camera footage, investigations by journalists and damning government reports have laid bare how over the course of over an hour, a mass of officers went in and out of the school with weapons drawn but did not go inside the classroom where the shooting was taking place. The hundreds of officers at the scene included state police, Uvalde police, school officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents.

In their July 2022 report, Texas lawmakers faulted law enforcement at every level with failing “to prioritize saving innocent lives over their own safety.” The Justice Department released its own report in January that detailed “cascading failures” by police in waiting far too long to confront the gunman, acting with “no urgency” in establishing a command post and communicating inaccurate information to grieving families.

Uvalde remains divided between residents who say they want to move past the tragedy and others who still want answers and accountability. During the first mayoral race since the shooting, locals voted in a man who had served as mayor more than a decade ago over a mother who led calls for tougher gun laws after her daughter was killed in the attack.

Robb Elementary School is now permanently closed. The city broke ground on a new school in October 2023.

Fourth of July travel rush heats up with millions hitting the roads and skies

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Fourth of July travel rush heats up with millions hitting the roads and skies

NEW YORK (AP) — The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and the travel rush is already heating up.

Millions of Americans are preparing to get out of town for the holiday week, leading to busy roads, packed airports, and crowded train stations. Motor club AAA projects that around 70.9 million travelers will journey 50 miles or more from their homes over a nine-day Independence Day travel period, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen over 32 million individuals in airports from this Thursday through July 8, a 5.4% increase from last year’s numbers.

Best times to hit the road for July Fourth

Avoiding peak travel times can help ensure smoother travel. According to INRIX, a transportation data and insights provider, the best times to travel by car are in the morning. The worst times to drive on or around the holiday are generally between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to INRIX data published by AAA. “Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal,” said Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX.

July Fourth falls on a Thursday this year, and many travelers will likely take Friday, July 5, off to extend their trip into a four-day weekend. Drivers in large metro areas can expect the biggest delays on Wednesday, July 3, and Sunday, July 7, as travelers leave and return to town. The busiest car rental pickup days will be Friday, Saturday, and Wednesday before the holiday, AAA notes.

Airports expected to be busiest on Friday

Airports will be crowded all week long, but the TSA expects the most travelers on Friday. The agency anticipates screening more than 3 million individuals that day, surpassing its current record of just under 3 million, set last Sunday. “We expect this summer to be our busiest ever,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said, noting that travel typically peaks around Independence Day.

Last year, the busiest day for Fourth of July air travel was also the Friday before the holiday. If past trends hold, travel will likely be highest on the days before and after the Fourth, particularly closer to the weekend. In 2023, more than 2 million people were screened on the Fourth, which was a Tuesday, down from 2.88 million the Friday before.

What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

Flights can be delayed or canceled for various reasons, from mechanical issues to major storms. If your flight is canceled, airlines are required to provide refunds, even if the cancellation is due to weather. Delays are trickier, as they typically need to meet certain criteria for relief, such as refunds or compensation. However, airlines often allow customers to switch to alternative flights at no cost if available.

In April, the Biden administration issued final rules requiring airlines to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays. These rules will take effect over the next two years. The Department of Transportation has a website that shows each airline’s commitments for refunds and covering other expenses when flights are canceled or significantly delayed.

Check your itinerary before leaving home

To avoid travel misery, check the status of your travel plans before heading out the door. Confirm if your flight, train, or bus ride is delayed, monitor traffic incidents that could disrupt your drive, and check weather forecasts for your entire travel path.

Additional travel tips

  • Leave early: With more people traveling during the holiday week, lines will be longer, and roads will be busier. Give yourself extra time to reach your destination or pass through airport security.
  • Monitor the weather: Check the weather for your entire travel route, not just your destination. Be prepared to reroute if necessary.
  • Be kind: Travel disruptions can be frustrating, but customer service agents are dealing with many issues during this busy period. Patience and respect can go a long way in getting the help you need.

Nfl found liable in Sunday Ticket class action, ordered to pay over $4 billion in damages

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Nfl found liable in Sunday Ticket class action, ordered to pay over $4 billion in damages

A federal jury in Los Angeles found the NFL liable in the Sunday Ticket class action on Thursday, awarding the plaintiffs more than $4 billion in damages. The NFL has the option to appeal to U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez, arguing that the damages are excessive and unreasonable. Additionally, the league can appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court. This ruling could force significant changes to the league’s broadcasting arrangements, which accounted for 93 of the 100 most-watched TV broadcasts in the U.S. last year.

Despite the defeat, the NFL may not have to make payments or alter its broadcasting structure for years—if at all. Gutierrez, who expressed skepticism of the plaintiffs’ case during the trial, will hear post-trial motions on July 31. The NFL may seek a judgment notwithstanding the verdict, arguing that no reasonable jury could have reached the same conclusion based on the evidence presented, or that the jury misapplied the law. Alternatively, the NFL might pursue “remittitur,” contending that the damages are so excessive it would be a miscarriage of justice to uphold the amount. The league could also request Gutierrez to delay potential changes to the Sunday Ticket structure resulting from the jury’s verdict.

If Gutierrez upholds the jury’s ruling, the NFL will appeal to the Ninth Circuit and seek to halt the case pending the appeal. This delay would affect class members expecting payments or considering renewing their subscriptions. The NFL would argue that a stay is appropriate due to the substantial damages award and the structural changes that would affect contracts for teams, the league, and providers. This would mean the NFL would not have to pay damages or make structural changes to the Sunday Ticket package until all appeals are resolved.

The appeals process in the Ninth Circuit can take from a year and a half to nearly three years. The NFL could also petition the U.S. Supreme Court after the Ninth Circuit appeal, extending the timeline into the late 2020s. Another possibility is that the NFL and the plaintiffs could reach a settlement before an appeal is heard, where the league pays less and makes fewer changes, but the plaintiffs—and their attorneys who will receive a portion of the proceeds—gain payment certainty.

The class action involves more than 2.4 million residential subscribers and over 48,000 restaurants, bars, and other commercial establishments that purchased Sunday Ticket. Journalist Meghann Cuniff reported that the residential class was awarded $4.7 billion, while the commercial class received another $96 million. The plaintiffs argued that NFL teams pooling their broadcasts through Sunday Ticket, available through YouTube TV for $349/year (or less with discounts), violated antitrust law.

The NFL disputed the verdict. “We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit,” the league said in a statement. “We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit. We thank the jury for their time and service and for the guidance and oversight from Judge Gutierrez throughout the trial.”

Unlike other major pro leagues, NFL teams offer local fans free TV access to games, but out-of-town fans must purchase Sunday Ticket. If NFL teams competed in broadcasting deals, some might make out-of-town games available for free or less than the Sunday Ticket cost.

The NFL raised several counterarguments, but none convinced the jurors. One argument involved the Sports Broadcasting Act (SBA), which exempts professional football, basketball, baseball, and hockey leagues from antitrust scrutiny when negotiating national TV deals for freely watched games. While the SBA doesn’t exempt subscription-based Sunday Ticket from antitrust scrutiny, the NFL claimed Sunday Ticket is part of a broader TV arrangement that includes free local broadcasts.

The NFL also warned that if teams were forced to compete in licensing out-of-town broadcasts, it would reduce the number of televised games available to fans. Although Sunday Ticket has a cost, it ensures fans can watch any game on TV regardless of location. If out-of-town fans depended on their favorite team finding a broadcast partner, some might lose access to certain games.

Besides appealing, the NFL will need to consider new broadcasting arrangements where teams compete in broadcast sales. The league insists consumers will be worse off without Sunday Ticket but has incentives to maintain its broadcasting dominance—even if it means exploring new methods for teams to televise games to out-of-town fans.

First 2024 presidential debate recap

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First 2024 presidential debate recap

In a historic event, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump faced off in Atlanta for the first debate of the 2024 election cycle. The debate, moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, took place on Thursday, June 27, without a live studio audience.

The stakes were high for both candidates, with Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, entering the debate with nearly identical poll numbers just four months before Election Day. The rematch between these two senior statesmen has brought the issue of their mental competency to the forefront of voters’ minds.

Key points from the debate include:

  • Significance: This debate marked the beginning of the 2024 election cycle, highlighting the critical stakes for both Biden and Trump as they vie for the presidency.
  • Biden’s Performance: President Biden’s frail performance raised questions among pundits about the possibility of a last-minute change to the Democratic ticket.
  • Trump’s Assertions: Former President Trump’s repeated false statements and reluctance to accept the 2024 election results undermined public trust.

As the candidates began the night in a statistical dead heat, the impact of the debate on their poll numbers will be closely watched in the coming days

LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. drafted by Los Angeles Lakers, setting stage for potential father-son duo

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LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. drafted by Los Angeles Lakers, setting stage for potential father-son duo

In a historic move, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. has been drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, paving the way for a potential father-son duo on the court. Bronny, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, joins his father’s team after going unselected in the first round.

The 6-foot-2 guard from the University of Southern California had been a major talking point leading up to the draft. Although his last name has contributed to the hype, Bronny’s game has steadily developed over the years, preparing him for this significant moment.

Yahoo Sports NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek had projected that James would be taken with the 55th overall selection by the Lakers. “James is far from a finished product, but proved he belonged in this draft class as a prospect at the draft combine, where he shot the ball well and showed more scoring potential in the lane with his floater,” Peek wrote in her recent mock draft.

Despite sharing genes with one of the greatest basketball players of all time, experts were not as high on James coming into the draft as they were when his father was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2003. One reason for this was James’ underwhelming freshman season at USC, where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting below 40% from the field. Additionally, the Trojans’ underperformance contributed to a less-than-ideal college debut for James.

James’ freshman season was further marred by a health scare on July 25, when he collapsed due to cardiac arrest during a USC basketball practice. After being hospitalized and stabilized, he was unable to practice until late November, making his college debut in December.

Despite these setbacks, James showed flashes of potential, with one of his best performances being a 15-point game against Oregon State. However, his inconsistency led to questions about his legitimacy as an NBA prospect. An NBA executive told the New York Post, “We wouldn’t be talking about him if his name was Joe Thomas,” highlighting the scrutiny James faced.

Historically, the sons of NBA players often outplay their draft positioning. Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh noted that the success of second-generation players, such as Jalen Brunson and Stephen Curry, often defies their draft rankings. “As we talk about Bronny’s candidacy, it’s worth pointing out that the success of second-generation players like Brunson isn’t the exception; it’s the rule,” Haberstroh wrote.

LeBron James has expressed his desire to play with his son, stating in 2022 that his last year in the NBA would be spent alongside Bronny. However, his agent, Rich Paul, has since clarified that there is no guarantee of this happening. “If he does, he does. But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t,” Paul told ESPN, indicating that LeBron’s future in the NBA is not solely tied to Bronny’s career.

As the second round of the draft played out, former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, now an ESPN broadcaster, revealed that Paul was calling teams to inform them that if they selected Bronny, he would play in Australia instead, implying that Paul had a specific destination in mind.

Bronny James finished his high school career at Sierra Canyon as a four-star recruit and a McDonald’s All-American, averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.7 steals in his senior year. With his drafting by the Lakers, the stage is set for a potentially historic moment in NBA history if Bronny and LeBron take the court together.

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