History was made on Thursday (June 27) when the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, making LeBron and his eldest son the first father-son duo to play in the league simultaneously.
Various videos went viral showing the family gathered around the TV at an intimate dinner in New York City. LeBron, Savannah, Bryce, and LeBron’s mother, Gloria James, could all be seen huddled around Bronny as he sat watching his name get called. After the selection, the former USC Trojan could be seen wiping away tears from his eyes, and his mother handed him his official Lakers Draft Night hat.
According to ESPN, LeBron led the group in a toast where the future NBA Hall of Famer became “very emotional” at the gravity of this moment. Immediately after, Bronny took to his Instagram Story to comment on the historic opportunity to play alongside his dad and for the Lakers, typing, “Beyond blessed.”
But what’s interesting is that Bron has an opportunity to become a free agent next. Rob Pelinka, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, offered a statement about Los Angeles using their pick on Bronny James and LeBron’s future with the team.
Pelinka spoke to the historical moment and stated that something “magical” could happen from this as a result saying, “In the history of the NBA, there’s never been a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court and that feels like something that could be magical. We know, and have to respect of course, that LeBron has a decision on his opt-out…but if it worked out that he was on our team next season, NBA history could be made. And NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform.”
Anthony Davis, the Robin to LeBron’s Los Angeles Lakers Batman, also talked about the gravity of the situation. He admitted that there is a significant amount of pressure on Bronny James to perform, “considering who his father is,” but he’s optimistic that he’ll be fine.
“He’s very good defensively. He can read the floor very well. I think he’s a really good playmaker. I saw him work out a couple times besides the [Klutch Sports] pro day and working with a big — his reads, reading the defense, making the right passes — that was really impressive to me. I think he’s going to be fine, man,” AD told ESPN. “But one thing about Bronny, from what I’ve seen and what I heard, he wants to create his own path and he doesn’t want to be — even though he’s LeBron James’ son, he don’t want be seen as that. And I think having that mindset and trying to create his own path is going to work out for him. … Who knows, he might come in and be ready to play for us.”
During his time in a USC Trojans uniform, Bronny James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game in his first and only season at the university. His ambitions on the court were unexpectedly dashed after he was sidelined for almost five months after recovering from a cardiac arrest incident and then surgery to aid his congenital heart defect.
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