Bronny James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA draft and joins his father LeBron on the team.
The Lakers drafted the 19-year-old son of LeBron James with the 55th pick after one season at the University of Southern California. Bronny James spent four years at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth before graduating in 2023.
That same year, he was selected by Team USA to play in the Nike Hoop Summit, according to his USC profile.
In his lone season at USC, Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 steals.
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“While it’s not a guarantee Bronny will join the Lakers on draft night, it does appear to be the most likely outcome,” CBS Sports previously reported, citing mock drafts that predicted the Lakers would use the No. 55 pick to select Bronnie.
LeBron James, who last year surpassed fellow Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, told ESPN in May of last year that he wanted to play with his son.
“I gotta get on the floor with my boy, I gotta get on the floor with Bronny,” he said.
But a few months later, the NBA star took a lighter approach, telling ESPN, “Just because that’s my ambition or my goal doesn’t mean it’s his goal.”
“I did what I had to do in this competition, and my son is going to continue his journey,” he said.
During the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago last month, reporters asked Bronny if he would like to play with his father.
“No, never,” he replied. “My dream has always been to get my name out there, make a name for myself and get into the NBA, which is the end goal of everyone who is here. I never thought about just playing with my dad. “
“But of course he’s brought it up a few times,” he said.
As the other players were selected in the first round of the draft on Wednesday, LeBron addressed Bronny and his other son, Bryce, in a heartfelt post on Instagram.
“Just stopping by and getting all emotional thinking about your journey so far!” the NBA star wrote. “Thank you for letting me be your FATHER and part of your compass through life’s trials and tribulations!”
