Something out of nothing: Bronny James didn't take a shot at Michael Jordan

The Los Angeles Lakers' decision to take Bronny James with the 55th pick in last month's NBA Draft cemented his status as the most scrutinized and talked-about second round pick of his generation. Probably of all time.

It's one thing to knock the Lakers for nepotism — Bronny averaged 4.8 points on 36.6 percent shooting as a freshman at USC — but it's another to spin narratives out of control for a player who, frankly, is not worth the time or effort.

That's not to say Bronny can't develop into a viable NBA player at some point. It will be cool to see LeBron James and his son on the same court, and yes, Bronny's athleticism and defense are real, investment-worthy assets. He's not scoring in Summer League but that's not Bronny's path to NBA minutes. His path is rooted in defensive intensity and basketball IQ, with Lakers head coach JJ Redick using OKC wing Lu Dort as a reference point.

Bronny, however, is a second-round pick who will spend most of next season in the G League. He is a non-entity in the Lakers' present game plan. He's the 15th man on a 15-man roster. Why on earth are we over-analyzing every box score? And, beyond that, why are we going through random interview sidebars with a fine-toothed comb?

Bronny was recently asked about his five all-time favorite NBA players. He listed his own father, LeBron, as well as Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, and either Anthony Edwards or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A pretty standard collection of players for a 19-year-old to idolize.

The internet wasn't able to be normal for a day, though, and Bronny became the subject of intense speculation for his exclusion of Michael Jordan. Was this a shot at the GOAT? A stance on his dad's longtime quest to catch the six-time NBA champ?

No. Let's be serious.

Bronny James excludes Michael Jordan from all-time favorites list and it means nothing

Let's just squash this whole ridiculous talking point with a simple reference to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which is free to use online. Here is the definition of "favorite."

"One that is treated or regarded with special favor or liking."

Nowhere in that definition are the words "best" or "greatest." Nothing there indicates any judgement of value. It's simply what a specific person favors, or likes. Bronny was not asked to render judgement on the NBA's all-time greats. He was asked who he enjoys watching the most — the players he grew up with.

Obviously he's going to mention his dad, and obviously he's going to mention the stars he has seen on television and social media over the last decade. MJ is great, but 19-year-olds weren't around for his Chicago Bulls heyday. There is a near-universal acknowledgement that Jordan is the GOAT, or at least second to LeBron, but that doesn't mean literal kids have the same emotional connection to him as your least favorite Fox Sports panelist.

This was a totally innocent question and response blown out of proportion. It comes with the territory for Bronny, who has handled the media swarm with remarkable poise and maturity, but we can stop paying so much attention to the South Bay Lakers' backup two-guard. I promise.