LeBron James’ son Bronny is chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 55 pick in the NBA Draft.
James is now ready to play next to his father, the all-time top scorer in the NBA, and the two of them may make league history as the first father-son team to play together.
After the Lakers selected him in the draft, Bronny James posted on his Instagram story, stating, “Beyond blessed.”
Above all, Bronny is a person of great moral integrity. In a statement, Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka added, “And secondly, he’s a young man who works incredibly hard.” “At the Lakers, we search for those attributes in individuals we draft to bolster our core group of young players. He showed those traits during a fantastic draft workout with us.
He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which we have all witnessed. He has never been someone who expects or feels entitled to basketball opportunity, nor has he ever taken quick paths.
He participated in 25 games during his one and only season at the University of Southern California, where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per contest.
The 19-year-old went into the hospital in July 2023 following a heart collapse that happened during a USC basketball session. Consequently, the rookie guard was sidelined for the first eight games of the season while he healed from surgery to correct a congenital heart condition.
James was ranked as the No. 20 prospect by ESPN in the Class of 2023 and was selected a 2022โ23 McDonaldโs High School All-American while attending Sierra Canyon High School. LeBron James, meantime, has expressed in the past how much he would like to play in the NBA with his son.
Twenty-two-year-old James declared to the Athletic that 2022 would be his last year. “My location will be wherever Bronny is.” If I could play with my son for a year, I would do anything. At that point, it isn’t about the money.
James has until this Saturday to choose whether to exercise his player option, which is worth over $51 million, or to stay in his current Lakers contract. James could hit free agency this summer.
From July 12 to July 22, Bronny James will have the opportunity to play in his first NBA Summer League game while donning a Lakers uniform.