The Los Angeles Lakers have drafted USC guard Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Selected 55th overall, Bronny will join his dad LeBron James for the purple and gold in the league’s first ever father-son duo on the same team.
It’s been roughly two decades since LeBron entered the league himself and his every move has carried a wave of spectacle. The same media attention has applied to James’ oldest son since his years at Sierra Canyon School in the San Fernando Valley, as well as his short stint at USC. While Bronny exhibited stellar athleticism, stout defense and a selfless attitude that mirrors that of his father’s, his freshman year with the Trojans did not meet many basketball scouts’ expectations, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game and a shooting percentage of roughly 36 percent from the field.
At 6-foot-1, the former McDonald’s All American improved his draft stock at the NBA Combine in Chicago, racking an impressive outing particularly at the three-point line. Bronny joins newly minted Laker, Tennessee Volunteer guard Dalton Knecht, who many have described as the steal of the first round. “Been working a long time for this,” wrote the Lakers in its first Instagram post since the Bronny selection.
LeBron, 39, will be entering his 22nd season and has up until June 29 to opt into his contract (worth $51.4m USD next year) or become an unrestricted free agent. Without jumping the gun, it’s safe to say assume where he will be suited up come October.
