It was the dream that LeBron James expressed a few years ago: the idea of playing with one of his sons in the NBA. And now it will become a reality, as Bronny, his eldest son, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 55th overall pick of the Draft, in one of the last picks of the second round with only three decisions left in this year’s draft.
“I feel more than blessed,” wrote Bronny James on his Instagram account.
“In the history of the NBA, there has never been a father and son who share a basketball court, and it feels like something that could be magical. We know and have to respect, of course, that LeBron has a decision to make, but if it happens, it could make history in the NBA, and that history would be made wearing Lakers uniforms,” said Rob Pelinka, general manager of the Lakers.
Will LeBron James continue with the Lakers?
Pelinka talks about a formality: LeBron James has until June 29 to confirm whether he will continue with the Lakers for one more season or become a free agent. But it is taken for granted that he will continue in yellow and purple after Bronny's selection and after the team hired his friend J.J. Redick as coach, despite having no coaching experience.
Anyway, now the ball is in Bronny's court, who has to make an effort and show his best level to make it to the Lakers' roster that will face the 2024-2025 season starting in October.
On LeBron's side, the question now arises of whether the upcoming season will be his last in the NBA after fulfilling the dream of playing with his son. A few months ago, James, a 21-year veteran in the league, said, "we'll see what happens in the future. I don't know...I have a lot to think about, to be honest."
Does Bronny James have what it takes to play in the NBA?
It is not easy to predict Bronny's projection in the NBA since, due to his heart condition, he only played half of his first season at the University of Southern California (USC) and averaged 4.8 points.
Bronny James is a point guard. In the USC roster, it was mentioned that he is 1.93 meters tall, but at the Draft Combine he was measured at 1.87 meters. This means that he would be one of the shortest players in the NBA.
But his athletic abilities and defensive skills helped him earn this opportunity. In addition to that, there is the clear commercial and media interest in having him play alongside LeBron James.
"Bronny, first and foremost, is a person with a lot of character. And secondly, he is a young man who works incredibly hard. These are qualities we look for when recruiting players and incorporating them into our development system with the Lakers," Pelinka said.