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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer
Before Thursday, no father-son duo had ever played in the NBA together. And now, the father-son pair will be friends for the first time 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.
“Beyond a blessing,” wrote Bronny James in an Instagram post.
James’ family received the news during an intimate dinner party in New York, a source told ESPN. LeBron’s mother, Gloria, and wife Savannah, his parents, along with some of Bronny’s closest friends and associates.
After the Lakers made the 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.
Los Angeles Lakers pic.twitter.com/XES6ODc6ci
– Bronny (@BronnyJamesJr) June 27, 2024
Been working on this for a long time 💜 pic.twitter.com/CJAt1Hluhv
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 27, 2024
“In the history of the NBA, no father and son have shared an NBA basketball court and been as magical,” said Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka. “We understand, and we should respect, that LeBron had the decision to opt out … but if he is on our team next season, NBA history can be made. And NBA history must be made. in a Lakers uniform.”
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 midseason game action after being sidelined for nearly five months while recovering from an episode of heart attack that required surgery to treat a congenital heart defect.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound guard was medically cleared to be drafted by the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel on the night of the draft combine.
The former McDonald’s All-American saw his stock improve in Chicago during the combine, where he tried agility drills and finished as one of the best players in 3-point shooting drills.
“Bronny is, first and foremost, a man of high character,” Pelinka said. “And secondly, he’s a very hard-working young man. Those are the qualities we’re looking for in making players and adding to the development corps at the Lakers.”
The father has until 5 p.m. ET on Friday to opt into the final year of the Lakers’ contract — worth $51.4 million for next season — or become an unrestricted free agent. The Lakers are focused on retaining LeBron James for a 22nd season and beyond and are willing to offer him a three-year, $162 million maximum deal for a 39-year-old contract that is eligible to keep the franchise, sources told ESPN.
Lakers All-Star great Anthony Davis told ESPN before the second half that he supported the team targeting Bronny.
“He’s very good on defense,” Davis told ESPN. “He reads the floor very well. I think he’s a very good playmaker. I’ve seen him work out a few times besides the pro day (Klutch Sports) and work on the big ones – read, read the defense, make the right pass – that’s really impressive. for me who will search, Temenan is putting a lot of pressure on his father.
“But one thing about Bronny, from what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, he wants to make his own way and he doesn’t want to – even though he’s the son of LeBron James, he doesn’t want to be seen. And I think if he has that mindset and tries to make his own way he’ll be able to used for her…
The Lakers begin NBA Summer League play against the Houston Rockets on July 12 in Las Vegas.
During his pre-draft interview, Bronny said he hopes to model his game in the NBA after defensive-focused players such as Davion Mitchell, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.
“I think he’s going to be an offensive point guard that can really disrupt the way he guards other teams’ point guards,” Pelinka said. “I think he can guard multiple positions. And we’ve seen growth in his shooting … We really think he can be an elite shooter. Just a 3-and-D player, that’s for sure.”
Bronny made his USC debut in the Dec. 10 afternoon game against Long Beach State – the day after the Lakers won the In-Season Tournament championship over the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas.
Pelinka made the trip there and sat in a courtside seat next to LeBron and Savannah.
“After all we have to do it, and it’s very important to be there at that time,” said Pelinka. “And, I made sure to come back even though we wanted to celebrate IST and have fun in Vegas. But it’s really important to just be there in the moment. I think that’s what the Lakers family is all about”.
A source told ESPN that when LeBron James saw Pelinka at the Galen Center that day, Lakers executives told the star player, “I’m just here to show my support.”
LeBron, according to the source, thanked Pelinka for coming and added a message: “I hope you are here for the scouts too.”
