LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. will take his talents to… Los Angeles, where history with his father awaits.
James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, was selected by his father’s Lakers with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday after going unselected in the first round. If the couple takes the court together, it will be the first time a father and son have played together in NBA history.
The 6-foot-8 guard from the University of Southern California had been a major topic of conversation before the draft. While much of the hype may have come from his last name, his game has constantly evolved over the years to prepare him for this moment.
Yahoo Sports NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek projected James to be selected 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.
“James is far from a finished product, but he showed he belonged in this draft class as a prospect at the draft combine, where he threw the ball well and showed more scoring potential in the zone with his floater,” Peek wrote in his Latest mock draft.
Despite sharing genes with one of the greatest basketball players of all time, experts were not as enthusiastic about James entering the draft as they were when his father was selected with the first overall pick in 2003. One reason for this is because of James’ disappointing freshman season at USC. The guard averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game and shot under 40% from the field. Add to that a Trojans team that performed poorly, and it’s clear that James’ first and only season in college didn’t go as planned.
On July 25, James collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest during a USC basketball practice. He was hospitalized and was listed in stable condition before being released three days later. The health scare delayed what was supposed to be a preparation period for his college season. He was unable to practice until late November before suiting up in December to play his first college game.
James showed flashes of potential during the year. One of his best performances was earlier in the season against Oregon State when he scored 15 points.
The freshman scored in double figures just three times. For every electrifying fast-break dunk that reminded fans and scouts of his basketball pedigree, there came a head-scratching shot or courtside decision that warranted questioning James’ legitimacy as an NBA prospect.
“We wouldn’t be talking about him if his name was Joe Thomas,” one NBA executive told the New York Post. “Small, low-profile guard who isn’t going to get much bigger, who has very good intuition for the game. He’s not a great ball-handler, an inconsistent shooter, a strong, vertical athlete and, for now, a decent defender.”
Despite the misgivings of many scouts and executives, history shows that the children of NBA players often outperform their draft positioning.
“You don’t want to rank him high just because of his dad, so maybe you’re going to be low,” an anonymous Eastern Conference general manager told Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh.
Haberstroh noticed a trend with players like Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who had a father in the league, and how they sometimes develop into All-Star-caliber players.
“As we talk about Bronny’s candidacy, it’s worth noting that the success of second-generation players like Brunson is not the exception, it’s the rule. Jalen Brunson (33rd in 2018; son of Rick), Domantas Sabonis (11th in 2016 ; son of Arvydas) and Stephen Curry (7th in 2009; son of Dell) exceeded expectations, not to mention perennial All-Stars like Kobe Bryant (13th in 1996; son of Joe “Jellybean” Bryant), Klay Thompson (11th in 2011; son of Mychal) and Devin Booker (13th in 2015; son of Melvin) were not even in the top 10.”
Bronny James’ pre-draft process had some mixed messages
Many believed James would be selected simply because his father told The Athletic in 2022 that he wanted to play with his son in the league before he retired.
“My last year I will play with my son,” LeBron said at the time. “Wherever Bronny is, I’ll be there. I would do whatever it took to play with my son for a year. “At that point it’s not about the money.”
Since then, LeBron has backed off his comments a bit. The 39-year-old “has no idea of having to play with Bronny,” according to his agent, Rich Paul, who is also Bronny James’ agent.
“If he does, he does. But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t,” Paul told KeynoteUSA. “There is no agreement that guarantees that if the Lakers select Bronny at 55th overall, he (LeBron) will re-sign. If that were the case, it would force them to select him at 17th overall. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can select to Bronny and LeBron is not re-signing. LeBron is not going to Phoenix for a minimum contract either. We can rule that out now. “There are other teams that love Bronny.”
That’s what Paul said publicly. In private it might have been a different matter. As the second round was underway, former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, who now works as a broadcaster for KeynoteUSA, said Paul was calling teams and telling them that if they drafted Bronny, he would play in Australia.
This implied that Paul had a specific destiny in mind, which apparently has already been fulfilled.
James finished his career at Sierra Canyon High School as a four-star recruit and a McDonald’s All-American. The guard averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals in his senior year of high school.
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