With the 2024 NBA Draft set to commence next month, NBA insiders in Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski provided clarity regarding the future of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ son Bronny.
ESPN Sources with @Draftexpress: In the aftermath of his cardiac arrest and a procedure to repair a congenital heart defect nine months ago, the NBA’s Fitness to Play panel has medically cleared USC’s Bronny James to be drafted and play in the league. Story soon. pic.twitter.com/P8ci337NrA
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 13, 2024
Sources: Bronny James is expected to stay in the 2024 NBA Draft. The USC freshman has been fully cleared to play in the league as part of Fitness to Play panel and will participate in all pre-draft activities starting with the Draft Combine this week. pic.twitter.com/UDf3HanCAS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 13, 2024
The younger James collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest while practicing with the Trojans in July of last year. He was treated at a hospital and eventually was in stable condition after some time spent in the ICU.
The 2024 NBA Draft Combine started on Sunday and is scheduled to take place until May 19 in Chicago.
The younger James’ decision to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft and enter the NCAA’s transfer portal became known to the public back in April.
The 19-year-old is fresh off a quiet season at the University of Southern California, at least from a statistical standpoint, and it’s arguable as to whether he lived up to the hype as the son of one of the greatest basketball players ever.
In 25 games played and six starts with the Trojans during the 2023-24 campaign, the younger James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals per contest on 36.6 percent shooting from the floor and 26.7 percent from deep.
Scoring the ball was a struggle for the youngster all season long, considering he reached double digits in points in just three of the 25 games he appeared in. The most points he scored in a single game with the Trojans was 15 on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor.
But despite the younger James’ scoring woes as a freshman, there are former NBA players who are high on him. Former NBA All-Star Baron Davis said that the younger James could very well go on to become an even better player at the pro level than he was with the Trojans.
“I think for him to declare for the draft will be good because he may be a better pro than he is a college player,” Davis told TMZ Sports.
Perhaps the younger James will perform well at the draft combine in order to improve his stock, and it will be exciting to see which team selects him in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft, assuming he is selected at all.
