Bronny James goes to LA Lakers

LEBRON “Bronny” James Jr., the son of NBA all-time top scorer LeBron James, will now play for the same franchise as his father after being picked 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Bronny, who played one year for the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans in the NCAA, is now a confirmed NBA player after being selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. 

This special night is not only about him being drafted and realizing a lifetime dream, but also about him and his father becoming the first father and son to play on the same team.

Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, had Bronny work out just for the Lakers and Phoenix Suns, while urging teams during draft night not to choose him or he would go play in Australia. 

However, because LeBron declined his player option, the Lakers cannot be certain that he will return. Paul informed the Lakers that drafting Bronny is unrelated to the superstar’s future with the franchise. 

Overall, the LA squad drafted Bronny because he performed well at the Draft Combine and has proven himself to be a good 3-and-D player that the organization can develop in the next years.

Why hate a 19-year-old kid?

The 19-year-old guard’s first year at USC was marred by a cardiac attack. This stunned many people when he decided to use the transfer site and eventually got drafted this year. 

When Bronny declared his desire to enter the draft, several sports commentators criticized him, claiming that he is not yet ready for the NBA because he did not play a full season with USC. 

Photo Courtesy: @uschoops | Instagram

Bronny, on the other hand, understands that he needs to improve his game and talents because he is not a tall guard. When he enters the draft, he understands that it will be difficult for him to become an instant superstar for his team.

When asked by the media which player he sees himself as entering the NBA, he cited NBA champions Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Davion Mitchell, all of whom are good defensive players. 

LeBron then praised his son during a podcast interview with the Lakers’ newly hired head coach, JJ Redick, because he has a growth attitude that might help him prepare better. 

At the end of the day, it is simply basketball. You can’t criticize the Lakers for picking Bronny because he has proven himself to be a solid role player from this draft class, and the Lakers typically draft players like him.

More than just a game

Consider spending more than half of your life in the NBA, chasing greatness. In exchange, you sacrificed a lot of time with your loved ones, particularly your children, who were growing up so quickly. 

The James family’s situation has changed. LeBron and Bronny will now spend the majority of their time together during workouts, team dinners, bus rides, and, of course, going to battle every night. 

Proving that having LeBron and Bronny on the same squad means more than just basketball. He will now be able to gradually re-establish contact with his son after giving up so much time for basketball.

Photo Courtesy: NBA | Facebook

During a segment of NBA on ESPN, Dave McMenamin said that the entire James family became emotional after Bronny was picked by the Lakers. Saying that the family was overjoyed that the child was able to realize his goal.

“He (LeBron) got very emotional in considering the weight of the moment, not just the history for the NBA, the first time you ever have a father and son duo playing together, and not just the history for the James family being that father and son duo,” said McMenamin

“But really the journey for Bronny James. You think back it’s less than a year ago, last July, where he suffered that cardiac incident, and that was a very serious time for the James family.”

“And here they are together having one of the most joyous days they’ve ever experienced with Bronny being able to complete his goal of playing in the NBA,” he went on to say.

Bronny may expect a difficult journey ahead of him, as there are many players and analysts who could potentially go at him. However, there is no better teacher of how to deal with pressure than his father, LeBron.