The NBA had never seen an active father-son duo playing simultaneously. Now, history will be made as the Los Angeles Lakers have selected Bronny James, LeBron James’ eldest son, with the No. 55 pick in the second round, setting up the first father-son pair to become teammates in the league.
Bronny’s heartfelt reaction
“Beyond blessed,” Bronny James wrote in an Instagram post after the announcement.
The James family received the news at an intimate dinner party in New York, sources told ESPN. LeBron’s mother, Gloria, and his wife Savannah’s parents attended, along with some of Bronny’s closest friends. After the Lakers made their decision, LeBron led the group in a champagne toast to commemorate the occasion and was “very emotional” about the historic moment.
A historic milestone for the Lakers
“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,” said Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka. “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.”
Bronny’s journey to the NBA
Bronny, 19, averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game during his lone season at USC. He joined the Trojans midseason after recovering from a cardiac arrest episode that required surgery for a congenital heart defect. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound guard was medically cleared by the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel on the eve of the draft combine.
“Bronny is, first and foremost, a person of high character,” Pelinka said. “And second, he is a young man that works incredibly hard. Those are the qualities we look for in drafting players and adding to our developmental corps at the Lakers.”
Lakers All-Star Anthony Davis also expressed his support for the team’s decision to target Bronny. “He’s very good defensively,” Davis told ESPN. “He can read the floor very well. I think he’s a really good playmaker. … Who knows, he might come in and be ready to play for us.”
LeBron has until 5 p.m. ET Saturday to opt into the final year of his Lakers contract, worth $51.4 million, or become an unrestricted free agent. The Lakers are keen on retaining LeBron for his 22nd season and beyond, and are willing to offer the maximum three-year, $162 million deal he is eligible for, sources told ESPN.
Looking ahead
The Lakers begin NBA Summer League play against the Houston Rockets on July 12 in Las Vegas. During a pre-draft interview, Bronny said he hoped to model his game after defensive-focused players like Davion Mitchell, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White.
“I think he’s going to be a point-of-attack defender that can really be disruptive with the way he guards other teams’ point guards,” Pelinka said. “I think he can guard multiple positions. And we’ve really seen growth in shooting. … We really think he can turn into being an elite shotmaker. Just a 3-and-D player, for sure.”
A special moment for the Lakers family
Bronny made his USC debut on Dec. 10 against Long Beach State, the day after the Lakers won the In-Season Tournament championship over the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas. Pelinka arranged travel to be there in person and sat courtside, just down the sideline from LeBron and Savannah.
“After everything that he had to endure, it was really important to just be there in the moment for that,” Pelinka said. “And so, I made sure to get back even though we wanted to celebrate the IST and have some fun in Vegas. But it was really important to just be there in the moment. I think that’s what Lakers family is all about.”
Sources told ESPN that when LeBron saw Pelinka at the Galen Center that day, the Lakers executive told his star player, “I’m just here to show our support.”
LeBron, according to sources, thanked Pelinka for coming and added, “I hope you’re here to scout, too.”