On June 28, the Los Angeles Lakers made history by selecting LeBron James’ eldest son, Bronny James, with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. This will mark the first time in NBA history that a father and son will be teammates.
Behind the scenes, considerable efforts were made to facilitate this reunion. It was revealed that before the draft, LeBron’s agent Rich Paul called every team with a draft pick except the Lakers, informing them that if they drafted Bronny, he would not join their team and instead opt to play in Australia.
According to previous reports, besides the Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors, and Phoenix Suns had shown interest in Bronny, with the Suns being the only team other than the Lakers to invite him for a private workout.
Some insiders believe that Bronny’s selection was merited, not solely due to his father’s influence. Ahead of the draft, Anthony Davis, a key player for the Lakers, expressed his support for the team’s choice. “He’s an excellent defender,” Davis said in an interview. “His basketball IQ is great. I think he’s a very talented player. I’ve seen him train a few times with bigs—his court vision, defensive reads, timing—really impressed me. Of course, there’s a lot of pressure on him because of who his father is.”
“But one thing about Bronny, from what I’ve seen and heard, he wants to create his own path; he doesn’t want to be seen as someone who gets everything because he’s LeBron James’ son. I think with that mindset and working to forge his own way, it can work for him… Who knows, maybe he’ll come in ready to contribute right away.”
Sports journalist Adrian Wojnarowski also refuted the notion that Bronny’s selection was a result of nepotism. On a program, Wojnarowski stated, “I don’t want to hear any of that chatter, people talking about nepotism, saying the NBA is riddled with nepotism, that owners, front offices, coaches—it’s all about relationships. I don’t want to hear that just because Bronny James’ dad plays for the Lakers. That narrative doesn’t hold water.”
The 19-year-old Bronny, after his lone season at the University of Southern California, averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game. Last year, he underwent surgery for a congenital heart defect after a cardiac episode and missed nearly five months of action. At the Chicago pre-draft combine, Bronny excelled in agility drills and ranked highly in three-point shooting. LeBron James has until June 29 to exercise his $51.4 million player option for next season with the Lakers or become an unrestricted free agent. Sources told ESPN that the Lakers are eager to keep James beyond his 22nd season and are willing to offer him a three-year, $162 million max contract to stay with the franchise.