It seems to be a criminal offense to be the child of a well-established sports star. The basic “You’re here because of your father”, followed by accusations and names like ‘nepo baby, ‘ is a common scene too. Spotlight never leaves them alone. Criticism befriends them. And a poor rookie season stat means insane scrutiny; just ask Bronny James. Who else, if not him, would know what it feels like to be LeBron’s firstborn in the NBA?

The 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft isn’t the only one who’s been on the radar. NFL legend Deion Sanders’ QB son, Shedeur Sanders, reportedly entered the 2025 NFL Draft conversation as the No.1 prospect. However, he ended up being the 144th pick by the Cleveland Browns. This episode triggered a series of Bronny-Shedeur comparisons and, of course, criticisms of these young guns.

Now, as Dylan Harper steps into the NBA as the 2nd pick of the 2025 Draft, he carries with him the lessons learned from witnessing the hard work of James Jr. and Sanders Jr. Recently, Harper appeared on 7 PM in Brooklyn, Carmelo Anthony’s podcast, alongside Melo’s 18-year-old son, Kiyan Anthony. During the episode, co-host Kazeem Famuyide shifted the focus to Kiyan with a thoughtful question. Specifically, he asked Kiyan to reflect on Bronny James’ experience with public scrutiny, considering their personal connection and what it felt like to watch someone close to him face that pressure.