The basketball world went into a hype Thursday night when Bronny James was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers midway through the second round of the NBA draft. It was this, essentially a historical pick as the NBA legend LeBron James and his son are one step closer to realizing a long-held dream: playing together in the league.
Bronny’s phone, according to reports, lit up as the 19-year-old got word he was somehow selected through a call placed by Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. His father, LeBron, was said to be in New York dining with his family and friends when he offered an emotional champagne toast to the sky as a kudos to the monumental occasion.
The two will become the first father-and-son duo to ever play in the NBA, making for a truly unique storyline in the history of the league. While Bronny isn’t expected to play a lot of minutes during his rookie year, whenever they do share the court, it will be a special moment.
“Family business,” the Lakers posted on X (formerly Twitter), with side-by-side photos of LeBron and Bronny from past and present. Bronny himself shared a photo on Instagram donning a Lakers jersey, while Lakers legend Magic Johnson congratulated him on X, calling his selection with the 55th pick a “historic moment.”
LeBron was 19 years old and the NBA Rookie of the Year when his now-wife Savannah gave birth to their son, LeBron Raymone “Bronny” James Jr., in Akron, Ohio, back in 2004. He has spoken very highly of the idea of wanting to play with his son in the NBA—with this chance now within reach.
Bronny got a lot of attention when he played in high school at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles. He was playing together with his younger brother, Bryce, during his senior year. Bryce is a young, 17-year-old talent who could later join the NBA as well.
The road from Akron to the NBA was not as smooth for Bronny. This summer, he had a issue with his heart while practicing with the University of Southern California (USC) basketball team, an incident that had him ICU. Remarkably, he recovered and was cleared to return to the team by November. The guard averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists during his lone season with the Trojans.
Speculation was rife that some team would pick Bronny up earlier to either lure LeBron to move to their respective teams or mess things up for the Lakers. But that would have been running the risk of ticking off Rich Paul, the all-powerful NBA agent who represents both Bronny and LeBron, in addition to the service of around two dozen top-tier ballers or so, among his clients.
LeBron is a 40-year-old going into his 22nd season in the NBA and is the all-time highest scorer in the NBA. LeBron has won four NBA championships. The Lakers went out of the NBA playoffs in the first round all the way back in April and are going to have their hands full with a very deep Western Conference this year under first-year head coach JJ Redick.
The NBA world will first get a taste of Bronny in Lakers action when Summer League begins on July 12 in Las Vegas. “I’m telling you, watching Bronny suiting up for the Lakers during Summer League in Vegas is gonna be must-see TV!” Johnson wrote on X app.
