The Los Angeles Lakers did, in fact, select Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, using the No. 55 overall pick to bring the 19-year-old to the franchise of his superstar father LeBron.
That historic move is drawing many reactions from around the basketball world, with possible Lakers trade target Dejounte Murray among those weighing in on social media.
The elder James has said in the past that he wanted to play in the NBA at the same time as his son, either as teammates or opponents. Now, if the University of Southern California (USC) product does indeed make the Lakers’ NBA roster at some point, that incredible dream will become a reality as they are set to become the first father-son duo on the same team in league history.
The road to that outcome has taken many twists and turns, most notably a serious medical scare when the younger James suffered a cardiac arrest during a workout in the summer prior to his freshman collegiate season. After once being thought of as a possible first-round pick, the younger James recovered in time to contribute to USC during the 2023-24 season.
His uneven campaign was followed by a good showing at the NBA Draft Combine, and his stock landed at the level where the Lakers’ selection of him actually made some sense no matter what his last name might be. In addition, agent Rich Paul reportedly was telling teams ahead of the Lakers not to select the younger James, because if they did he would go to Australia to play instead.
The Lakers, as they usually do, are again dominating the NBA offseason news cycle. Earlier this month, they hired J.J. Redick as their new head coach, settling on the ESPN analyst and former NBA player after a much-publicized pursuit of University of Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley.
Going forward, the Lakers and the elder James still have some details to work out to ensure the much-anticipated on-court pairing of father and son. The 39-year-old has a player option in his contract and could choose to become a free agent.
However, now that his son has landed with the Lakers franchise, it is impossible to believe that the elder James would look to take his talents elsewhere for his 22nd NBA season and perhaps beyond.
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