There had never been a father-son team competing simultaneously in the NBA before this past Thursday. The Los Angeles Lakers chose Bronny James, the eldest son of LeBron James, with the 55th choice in the second round of the NBA, meaning that the first father-son duo would now be teammates.
Bronny James said, “Beyond blessed,” in an Instagram post.
According to individuals who spoke to ESPN, the James family was together at a small dinner party in New York when they learned the news. Some of Bronny’s closest friends and confidants were present, along with LeBron’s mother Gloria and wife Savannah’s parents.
LeBron led the group in a champagne toast to celebrate the event after the Lakers announced their choice, and a source told ESPN that he was “very emotional” given the significance of the situation.
Rob Pelinka, general manager and vice president of basketball operations for the Lakers, said, “There has never been a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court and that feels like something that could be magical.” “LeBron has the right to opt out, which we obviously respect, but if things worked out and he ended up joining our team the next season, NBA history might be made. Additionally, a Lakers uniform ought to make NBA history.”
In his one and only season at USC, Bronny, at 19 years old, averaged 19.4 minutes per game, 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Midway through the season, he returned to the Trojans as a player after missing almost five months due to a cardiac arrest incident that necessitated surgery to correct a congenital heart condition.
On the eve of the draft combine last month, the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel certified the 6-foot-1, 210-pound guard fit for the draft.
During the combine in Chicago, where he performed well in agility drills and was among the top players in 3-point shooting drills, the former McDonald’s All-American saw his stock rise.
“Bronny is, first and foremost, a person of high character,” Pelinka stated. “Secondly, he is a young man who puts in a lot of work. At the Lakers, those are the characteristics we search for in players we draft and add to our developing squad.”
His father can choose to become an unrestricted free agency or play out the last year of his $51.4 million contract with the Lakers until 5 p.m. ET on Saturday. According to sources who spoke to ESPN, the Lakers are prepared to give LeBron James the longest possible contract—three years and $162 million—in order to keep him with the team for his twenty-second season and beyond.
Before Thursday’s second round, Lakers All-Star center Anthony Davis told ESPN that he was in favor of the team that was pursuing Bronny.
“His defense is excellent,” Davis told ESPN. “He has excellent floor reading skills. He’s a tremendously good playmaker, in my opinion. Aside from the [Klutch Sports] pro day, I watched him work out a few times. I found his reads, defense reading, and pass selection to be pretty remarkable. Man, I think he’s going to be alright. Given his dad’s personality, it’s obvious that he is under a lot of strain.
“But one thing about Bronny that I’ve observed and heard is that, despite being LeBron James’ kid, he wants to forge his own path and not be perceived as such. And I believe that he will succeed if he adopts that approach and tries to forge his own route. Who knows, maybe he’ll show up and be prepared to perform for us.”
On July 12 in Las Vegas, the Lakers take on the Houston Rockets in NBA Summer League action.
In a pre-draft interview, Bronny expressed his desire to emulate defensive-minded NBA players like Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Davion Mitchell.
“I think he’s going to be a point-of-attack defender that can really be disruptive with the way he guards other teams’ point guards,” Pelinka stated. “I believe he can cover several spots. And there has been a noticeable improvement in shooting. We firmly believe he has the potential to develop into a top shotmaker. Definitely just a 3-and-D player.”
On December 10, in the afternoon, Bronny made his debut for USC against Long Beach State. This was the day following the Lakers’ victory against the Indiana Pacers in the In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas.
Pelinka made travel arrangements to attend in person and took a seat courtside, a short distance from LeBron and Savannah.
“After everything that he had to endure, and it was really important to just be there in the moment for that,” Pelinka stated. We wanted to celebrate the IST and have a good time in Vegas, so I made sure to return. However, it was crucial to simply be there in the moment. I believe that is the essence of the Lakers family.”
LeBron James spotted Pelinka at the Galen Center that day, and according to sources who spoke with ESPN, the Lakers executive said to his star player, “I’m just here to show our support.”
As to the accounts, LeBron expressed gratitude to Pelinka for his visit and said, “I hope you’re here to scout, too.”