New York – The Los Angeles Lakers picked 19-year-old Bronny James, the son of legendary player LeBron James, 55th overall on Thursday (Friday in Manila) during the NBA Draft’s second round. The first father-son duo in NBA history is set up by this historic selection.
Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James considers this to be a dream come true. It has long been his dream to play with his son.
“No father and son have ever shared an NBA basketball court in the history of the league,” stated Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. “That feels like something that could be magical.”
Bronny is scheduled to play for the Lakers in NBA Summer League games in Las Vegas, while LeBron, a 39-year-old playmaker and four-time NBA champion, will be occupied with the US squad in the Olympics in Paris next month.
Magic Johnson, a legend of the Los Angeles Lakers, congratulated Bronny James on getting picked by the team. “This is a historic moment because LeBron and Bronny are the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time and on the same team. Watching Bronny suit up for the Lakers during Summer League in Vegas will be must-see TV!”
The University of Southern California guard Bronny James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game for the Trojans in the previous campaign. He impressed scouts at an NBA combine after having a fantastic high school career.
However, Bronny had a serious health scare in July of last year when he passed out from cardiac arrest brought on by a congenital heart abnormality during a rehearsal. After receiving the all-clear to resume his basketball career, he was discharged from the hospital a few days later.
Though he could need some time to completely develop as an NBA player, the younger James is thought to be a top defensive prospect with exceptional athleticism and good game instincts.
Pelinka expressed excitement over the story’s development. He also mentioned that JJ Redick, the new Lakers coach, is actively organizing Bronny’s development. “We are honored to have him join our program,” Pelinka remarked. “Coach Redick is excited about putting a development plan around him to enhance his basketball skills and turn him into a player we think can impact and help this franchise.”
LeBron James has until this Saturday to decide whether to sign a contract extension with the Lakers or become a free agency. But he still has the option to re-sign with the Lakers even if he becomes a free agency. This was considered a backup plan in the event that another team selected Bronny in the draft.
“We know and have to respect that LeBron has a decision about his opt out, and I’m sure he and his family will decide what they are going to do there,” Pelinka added. “If it worked out that he was on our team next season, history could be made — and NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform.”
With the fourth-to-last pick in the NBA Draft, the Lakers were worried that Bronny would be selected by another team in order to pursue a trade with them. As to ESPN, Rich Paul, Bronny’s agent, advised teams not to pick him and that he would rather play in Australia before signing with a certain team.
Only the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns had a pre-draft workout with Bronny James; the other teams did not have a second-round pick because of a free agency tampering violation.
In selecting Bronny for the draft, Pelinka underlined that traits like character and work ethic took precedence over heritage. “Bronny is first and foremost a person of high character and second, he’s a young man that works incredibly hard, and those are the qualities we look for in drafting players and adding to our developmental core of the Lakers,” Pelinka told reporters.
“In terms of his work ethic, I think we’ve all seen that lived out too. He’s not a person that has ever taken shortcuts, or expected or been entitled about basketball opportunities. He has worked for everything he has gotten, including being selected today at 55.”
