Nepotism has become a buzzword in sports over the past year or so. With Shedeur Sanders now in the NFL and Bronny James in the NBA, many believe the two aren’t as good as people think and that they’re favored because of their parents. While that may hold some truth, rapper Trae tha Truth recently spoke with Cam Newton about how strange it is to get upset over it.
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It feels like every year, the sports world — and the world in general — latches onto a word that suddenly becomes popular. From terms like “gaslighting” to “gatekeeping,” the general public loves to run these words into the ground. But that’s only once they figure out how to properly use them.
Now, with the rise of Bronny and Shedeur, nepotism has become the latest buzzword. Clearly, fans don’t think either athlete is as good as their father. And because of that, they don’t believe Bronny and Shedeur should be given as much opportunity to succeed. It’s a bit of a strange stance to take when you actually unpack the idea.
That’s why Trae tha Truth felt the need to speak out about nepotism when talking to Cam recently, and he didn’t hold back.
“I think that somebody woke up and just wanted to complain. Because at the end of the day, they ain’t putting their own child in a position or they ain’t able to. And if that’s the case, don’t be mad at the rest of the world for doing it,” Trae said on the Funky Friday Podcast.
The rapper went on to tell Cam that his daughter idolizes him and wants to become a musician one day. He then explained how it’s not strange that Blue Ivy wants to be a dancer like her mother, Beyoncé, or that Shedeur wants to play football like his dad. In fact, he said it’s natural and normal for kids to want to follow in their parents’ footsteps.
Additionally, he pointed out that it shouldn’t be considered strange if parents support their children in doing so.
“I don’t get into a lot of those opinions of people. And even though some stuff gets under your skin, it just doesn’t even make sense. Like, why would you be mad for allowing the child to follow in the footsteps of their parents?” Trae questioned.
When you look at it from the rapper’s perspective, it certainly doesn’t make a lot of sense why people continue to denounce the children of celebrities and former athletes. What, just because they’re in a certain tax bracket, means they shouldn’t be allowed to pursue a career? That doesn’t make any sense.
After all, most of these celebrities pursued wealth for the sole reason of providing for their future family. But all of a sudden, when they actually do it, people take issue with it.
Cam on Shedeur’s NFL future and Nepotism
The conversation didn’t end there, either. After Trae was done talking, Cam had some things to share, too. As a father and a former athlete, he is the exact person that some fans point to when it comes to nepotism. However, he also doesn’t understand why it’s such a big deal, because his kids are still going to go through tough times.
“Why wouldn’t you want Shedeur to be as successful as his father was?… But at the end of the day, everybody’s journey, no matter father, son, mother, daughter, you going to have to have your own road to the top. Nepotism or not, with help or without help, you gotta go through those roads,” Cam stated.
It’s a good thing to keep in mind for the fans. Just because Shedeur is in the NFL doesn’t mean he’s going to succeed. He’s actually been tied to Canadian League teams should he get cut from the Browns. Furthermore, just because Bronny is in the NBA doesn’t mean he’s going to pan out.
But does that mean we shouldn’t at least give these kids a chance? Have they not earned their spot? Shedeur was a star in college. Bronny has tape from high school and college that looks reminiscent of LeBron. It would be foolish not to at least see if they can fill the massive shoes their fathers left behind.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the son of Hall of Fame baseball player Vladimir Guerrero, just signed a 14-year, $500 million contract in the MLB. Sometimes these nepotism children do pan out, and it’s worth taking a flyer on them. So today, it’s funny to troll them for having a leg up on the rest of us. But just remember, there’s a chance Shedeur and Bronny shove it right back in our faces if they get better.
