Bronny James will join his father on the Los Angeles Lakers after being selected in the second round of the NBA draft.
The 19-year-old son of LeBron James and USC freshman guard was projected to be picked by the LA team, as he is the 55th-ranked player in the CBS Sports Prospect Rankings and the Lakers had a pick at No. 55 in the second round of the NBA draft. Bronny is a 2023 graduate of Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth and was chosen by Team USA to play in the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit, according to his USC profile.
He had a season average at USC of 4.8 points, 2.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 steals.
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“While it’s not a guarantee that Bronny will end up with the Lakers on draft night, it appears to be the most likely outcome,” CBS Sports reported, citing mock drafts that predict the Lakers will use the 55th pick to select Bronny.
LeBron – who last year surpassed fellow Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer – told ESPN last May that he wanted to play alongside his son: “I gotta be on the floor with my boy, I gotta be with Bronny on the ground.” 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 go on his journey,” he said.
During the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago last month, Bronny was asked by reporters 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 to 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 brought it up a few times,” he said.
On Wednesday, as other players were selected in the first round of the draft, 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!”
The second round on Thursday started at 1:00 PM PST.
CBS Sports predicted the Lakers were favorites to select Bronny.
