LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. takes his talents to… Los Angeles, where history with his father awaits.
James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, was drafted by his father’s Lakers on Thursday with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after going undrafted in the first round. If the pair take the court together, it will be the first time in NBA history that a father and son have played together.
The 6-foot-3 guard from the University of Southern California has been a major talking point leading up to the draft. While much of the hype may come from his last name, his game has steadily developed over the years to prepare him for this moment.
NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports predicted that James would be selected 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.
“James is far from a finished product, but proved he belonged in this draft class as a prospect at the draft combine, where he shot the ball well and showed more scoring potential in the lane with his floater,” Peek wrote in her most recent mock draft.
Despite sharing genes with one of the greatest basketball players of all time, experts weren’t as excited about James going into the draft as they were when his father was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2003. One reason for that is James’ disappointing freshman season at USC. The guard averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting less than 40% from the field. Add in a Trojans team that underachieved, and it’s clear that James’ first and only season in college didn’t go exactly to plan.
On July 25, James collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest during a USC basketball practice. He was hospitalized and was in stable condition before being released three days later. The health crisis put a stop to what was supposed to be a start to his college season. He was unable to practice until late November before playing his first college game in December.
James showed flashes of potential throughout the year, with one of his best performances coming early 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 history, there was a stunning shot or court decision that raised doubts about James’ legitimacy as an NBA prospect.
“We wouldn’t be talking about him if his name was Joe Thomas,” an NBA executive told the New York Post. “Small combo guard who’s not going to grow much, who has a really good feel for how to play. Not a great ball handler, erratic shooter, strong, vertical athlete and just a decent defender right now.”
Despite the hesitation of many scouts and executives, history shows that the sons of NBA players often outperform their draft position.
“You don’t want to rate him highly just because of his dad, so maybe you’re underrating him,” an anonymous Eastern Conference GM told Tom Haberstroh of Yahoo Sports.
Haberstroh noticed a trend in players like Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, whose father played in the league, and how they sometimes develop into All-Star-caliber players.
“When talking about Bronny’s candidacy, it’s worth pointing out 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) weren’t even in the top 10.”
Bronny James’ pre-draft process yielded mixed messages
Many thought James would be called up, if only because his father told The Athletic in 2022 that he wanted to play in the league with his son before he retired.
“My senior year I’m playing with my son,” LeBron said at the time. “Wherever Bronny is, that’s where I’ll be. I’d do anything to play with my son for a year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
LeBron has since doubled down on his comments. The 39-year-old is “not into the 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 ESPN. “There is no deal in place that guarantees that if the Lakers draft Bronny at age 55, he [LeBron] will re-sign. If that were the case, I would force them to take him at 17. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny and LeBron won’t re-sign. LeBron won’t go to Phoenix on a minimum deal. We can crush that now. There are other teams that love Bronny.”
Paul said that publicly. In private it might have been different. As the second round wore on, former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, who now works as an ESPN announcer, said Paul was calling teams and telling them that if they selected Bronny, he would play in Australia instead.
This implies that Paul had a specific destination in mind, which has now apparently come true.
James finished his high school career at Sierra Canyon 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.
