Amid all the fascination with Bronny at No. 55, NBA history says that pick rarely leads to stardom

Amid all the fascination over the Los Angeles Lakers drafting Bronny James this year, there's a story about No. 55 picks that is worth remembering.

When the Portland Trail Blazers used the 55th pick in the 2009 NBA draft on Patty Mills, nobody expected much of anything. Nate McMillan coached Portland at that time and wasn't planning on keeping him on the team. Kevin Pritchard was the general manager then; he, too, wasn't planning on keeping Mills on the team.

But owner Paul Allen overruled them both and Mills got the final roster spot as a rookie. Allen was right in predicting that Mills had great potential. Mills became an NBA champion and Olympic medalist.

“I'm a competitor,” Mills — now with Utah and about to enter his 16th NBA season — said last season when reflecting on his professional and international career. “I always love challenges. I've always been that way.”

Bronny James is likely going to have to adopt that approach.

The son of the NBA's career scoring leader LeBron James, Bronny was the No. 55 pick in this year's draft by the Lakers — his dad's team. The Lakers knew when they made the pick that it would be a lightning rod for criticism, some saying that Bronny's numbers at USC last season hardly merited an NBA shot, others crying nepotism or that the team was simply currying favor with his father.

And yes, Bronny's father is happy about playing with his kid. No question.

“With Bronny being here too, I don’t want to take this moment for granted," LeBron James said. "I’ve always kind of never (given) myself an opportunity to kind of just take in the moments. But this is the moment that I may enjoy a little bit more than just like my actual self.”

If the worst statistical case happens for the Lakers — that Bronny James never makes a meaningful contribution toward winning — it wouldn't exactly be an indictment of the pick. In fact, the odds suggest that's exactly what's going to happen, because that's usually been the case with No. 55 picks.

Out of the last 30 drafts, there have been only two No. 55 picks who have scored more than 1,500 points in their NBA careers. Mills is one. E'Twaun Moore is the other. (Aaron Wiggins might get there this season.) Only 11 of those picks scored more than 100 points in the league. Nearly half — 13 of the 30 — have exactly zero points in their NBA careers. And a third of them never even got into a game.

Which begs the question: What's the big deal?

“I think the pressure on him — the inherent pressure on him — is a little different than most second-round picks, most 20 year olds,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “But I don't sense any nerves. For us, the thing we talk about with him is you just have to be more consistent with your energy and effort every day.”

That was not a criticism. Bronny James has had good moments and bad moments. All rookies do. But with “James” on the back of his jersey, with his father already having shared the court with him — the league's first father-son duo in a game — during the preseason and with the expectation that it'll happen for real once the regular season starts, everything gets magnified in a big way.

“I'm thrilled that I get to be a part of this. I really am. I've said that a few times,” Redick said. “It's cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron's certainly longevity but also his competitive stamina that he's able to still be doing this in Year 22. It speaks to the work that Bronny has put in to get to this point. ... He's such a great kid. He's a pleasure to be around.”

A look at No. 55 picks in recent years:

There were four No. 55 picks who appeared in an NBA game last season. They were Aaron Wiggins (the 2021 pick, 78 games with Oklahoma City), Patty Mills (the 2009 pick, 19 games with Atlanta and 13 more with Miami), Gui Santos (the 2022 pick, 23 games with Golden State) and Isaiah Wong (the 2023 pick, one game with Indiana).

Even going back to when the NBA draft was more than two rounds, there are only five players taken at No. 55 who have averaged at least 10 points in a season.

Mills did it six times. Mark Blount (drafted in 1997) had three such seasons, Moore (drafted in 2011) had two, while Kenny Gattison (drafted in 1986) and Em Bryant (drafted in 1964) each did it once.

And Blount is a bit of a technicality. He's recognized by the NBA as the 55th pick but was the 54th player selected. Washington forfeited its first-round pick that year, so that draft essentially went from No. 28 to close the opening round to No. 30 at the start of the second round.

Combined, all of the players who were the 55th name called at their drafts have averaged 6.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

They've scored a combined 28,364 points. That's 12,110 points less than LeBron James has scored by himself in regular-season contests.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

FILE - Sacramento Kings guard Colby Jones, left, and forward Jalen McDaniels guard Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Oct. 9, 2024. The Warriors won 122-112. (AP Photo/Randall Benton, File)

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, left, yells orders to the team while guard Bronny James (9) goes onto the court during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Palm Desert, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) looks on before a preseason NBA basketball game against the Phoenix Suns, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Palm Desert, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

FILE - Oklahoma City Thunder's Aaron Wiggins drives to the basket against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series May 13, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

FILE - Miami Heat guard Patty Mills (88) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, March 20, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane, File)

FILE - Indiana Pacers' Isaiah Wong dribbles during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, April 1, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Bronny James react on the bench during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The death of Liam Payne, who shot to stardom as a member of the boy band One Direction and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world Thursday as Argentine authorities continued their investigation at the scene.

Fans, music industry figures and fellow musicians paid tribute to Payne, 31, who died Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

As fans and media swarmed the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital, the forensics unit worked inside on Thursday collecting evidence.

The Buenos Aires police said they found Payne's hotel room “in complete disarray” with packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, as well as energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs strewn about and “various items broken.” They added that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the internal courtyard where Payne’s body was found.

The circumstances surrounding Payne’s sudden death remain uncertain. Initial autopsy results indicated that Payne suffered hemorrhages and multiple traumatic injuries, a Buenos Aires security official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. The official said the report showed that Payne's plunge from the third-floor balcony was what caused his fatal injuries. On Wednesday, police said Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room,” without elaborating on how they came to that conclusion or whether the jump was intentional.

Police said they had rushed to the hotel in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time Wednesday that had warned of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

A hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call recording obtained by The Associated Press saying the hotel has “a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol. ... He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.” The manager’s voice becomes more anxious as the call goes on, noting the room has a balcony.

Payne was known as the tousle-headed, sensible one of the quintet that went from a TV talent show to a pop phenomenon with a huge international following of swooning fans. In recent years, he had acknowledged struggling with alcoholism, saying in a YouTube video posted in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment.

“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” his family said in a statement through Payne's representative. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”

Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who performed with One Direction in 2014, said he was “shocked and saddened.” The Backstreet Boys said in a social media post that their hearts go out to “Directioners around the world.”

Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed after each auditioned for the British singing competition “The X Factor” in 2010, two years after Payne’s first attempt to get on the show. Aged 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bublé’s version of “Cry Me a River,” appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audience’s cheers and applause.

After each singer failed to make it through as a solo act, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands ever — even though they lost the competition.

Each member had his own persona, with Payne — who hailed from Wolverhampton in England's West Midlands region — known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.”

Payne had prominent solos on songs including “Stole My Heart” and “Change Your Ticket,” co-writing several of the band’s hits. One Direction had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts and a highly loyal fan base, known as “Directioners,” many of them teen girls.

In the wake of his death, dozens of those fans formed lines that spilled into the cordoned-off street as police stood sentinel outside the hotel, before Payne’s body was removed around three hours after the fall. Young women filming with their cellphones expressed shock and heartbreak as a makeshift memorial with rows of candles and bouquets quickly grew.

“I’ve always loved One Direction since I was little,” said 18-year-old Juana Relh, outside Payne’s hotel. “To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.”

With his meteoric rise to fame, Payne had said that it took some time to adjust to life in the public eye.

“I don’t think you can ever deal with that. It's all a bit crazy for us to see that people get in that sort of state of mind about us and what we do,” he said in a 2013 interview with the AP, recounting an experience where a fan was in a state of shock upon meeting him.

One Direction announced an indefinite “hiatus” in 2016, and Payne — like each of his erstwhile bandmates — pursued a solo career, shifting toward EDM and hip-hop.

While Styles became a huge solo star, the others had more modest success. Payne's 2017 single “Strip That Down,” featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out an album “LP1” in 2019, and his last release — a single called “Teardrops” — was released in March.

In 2020, to mark the 10th anniversary of One Direction, Payne shared a screenshot of a text message he sent to his father on the day he joined the group, which read: “I’m in a boyband.”

“What a journey … I had no idea what we were in for when I sent this text to my dad years ago at this exact time the band was formed,” he wrote.

Payne had a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend, the musician Cheryl, who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an “X Factor” judge during One Direction’s season, although their relationship began years later.

Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, from August 2020 to early 2022. Henry released a novel earlier this year that she said was based on their relationship.

In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.

Huamani reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Natacha Pisarenko and Almudena Calatrava contributed reporting from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

FILE - Liam Payne performs during the first day of BBC Radio 1's Biggest Weekend at Singleton Park, in Swansea, Wales, May 26, 2018. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP, File)

Forensic investigators exit the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

FILE - One Direction members, from right, Liam Payne and Harry Styles perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" at Rumsey Playfield/SummerStage on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

Fans light candles outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Fans light candles outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Police restrain fans gathering outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

FILE - One Direction members, from left, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Liam Payne perform on NBC's "Today" show, Nov. 13, 2012 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

People embrace outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Fans light candles outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Fans light candles outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)