#Bill Maher Says Sports is One of the Last Industries that Hasn’t “Fallen to Nepotism”

Bill Maher isn’t holding back on his take on the nepo baby debate.

During Real Time on Friday night, the comedian shared his thoughts on the highly discussed topic across social media, with stars like Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Hanks, Maude Apatow, Gwyneth Paltrow and O’Shea Jackson Jr. previously weighing in.

“Enjoy the good life, nepos. Just don’t say you didn’t have a huge advantage, or it didn’t matter that much who your parents were, or it just got my foot in the door,” Maher said, showing a montage of celebrities. “This is fucking show business, getting your foot in the door is 80 percent of it.”

The host went on to list many industries that are “full of nepo babies,” including Hollywood, politics and modeling. But he claimed the sports world is one of the few entertainment fields that hasn’t “fallen to nepotism.”

He said, “This is one reason why of the top-rated telecasts on television, sports last year accounted for 94 of the top 100 because it is the last refuge of meritocracy in America.”

He explained there are star athletes that are the children of former players, but it’s not the reason they play — it’s because of their skills and talent. “Laila Ali (former professional boxer) didn’t knock out 21 opponents by smacking them with her birth certificate,” he joked.

“Sports is the last place where it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, just what you do,” he continued, listing off entities, businesses and people he doesn’t trust, “but I do trust that the 450 players in the NBA are the absolute best 450 players the teams could find anywhere in the world.”

Maher questioned why America has “each other’s respect and the love” in sports but nowhere else. He even took a stab at higher education, claiming, “42 percent of private colleges admit applicants based almost entirely on the fact that their parents are alumni. You get in if you work hard, and your dad bought a building. These are called legacy admissions.”