The Los Angeles Lakers have selected the oldest son of LeBron James, Bronny James, with the 55th pick in the NBA draft.
The Lakers’ move will make LeBron and Bronny the first father-and-son duo to play in the NBA simultaneously.
In response to his son being drafted to the same team, LeBron was reportedly very emotional.
CBS Sports reported that LeBron James’ manager, Rich Paul, told several teams not to select Bronny or that he would opt to play in Australia.
Many NBA analysts believe Bronny was selected too early in the draft.
In his lone season with USC, Bronny averaged only 4.8 points.
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BREAKING: LA Lakers draft Bronny James, where he will join his dad, LeBronpic.twitter.com/B5e1IQaWfH
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 27, 2024
Per ESPN:
Before Thursday, there had never been a father-son duo playing in the NBA at the same time. And now, the first father-son pair is set to be teammates after the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James — the eldest son of LeBron James — with the 55th pick in the second round of the draft.
The James family received the news while gathered together at an intimate dinner party in New York, sources told ESPN. LeBron’s mother, Gloria, and wife Savannah’s parents attended, along with some of Bronny’s closest friends and confidants.
After the Lakers delivered their decision, LeBron led the group in a champagne toast to commemorate the occasion, a source told ESPN, and was “very emotional” considering the weight of the moment.
Bronny, 19, averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game in his lone season at USC. He joined the Trojans in game action midseason after being sidelined for nearly five months while recovering from a cardiac arrest episode that required surgery to treat a congenital heart defect.
Bronny: Los Angeles Laker. pic.twitter.com/TvhkzEs9sO
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 27, 2024
LeBron James and Bronny James are now teammates.
( @ThrowbackHoops) pic.twitter.com/SsA6GkJHRA
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 27, 2024
