It always seemed like it was either the Los Angeles Lakers or no one else for Bronny James, the son of superstar LeBron James, and that dream became a reality on Thursday night when the purple and gold selected him with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
A video posted to social media of James’ initial reaction upon being drafted showed the University of Southern California product struggling to hold back tears as family and friends celebrated hearing his name called on television.
James held his head up high and could be seen sniffling back tears as they threatened to fall.
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Bronny James shoots a free throw during the 2024 NBA Basketball Draft Combine, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Hu)
His mother, Savannah, handed her son a Lakers hat, which he put on with a bow.
A video was also posted of James’ younger brother, Bryce, excited by the choice and immediately replying, “Yes!”
Once the cheering died down, James led a champagne toast that was “deeply emotional,” ESPN reported.
Lakers select LeBron James’ son Bronny in NBA draft
This feeling likely stems from a few factors other than the pure joy of being drafted by an NBA team.
The first is obvious: James can now play alongside his father, who was expected to opt out of his current contract with the Lakers and now has a non-financial incentive to return next season.
The James brothers are the first father-son duo to play in the NBA together.
Bronny James talks with his father, LeBron James, following the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game at Toyota Center. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
James suffered a cardiac arrest in July 2023 and subsequently underwent surgery to repair a congenital heart disease.
There was a time when basketball might not have been in James’ future, but he would take the court at USC later that season. The 6-foot-4 guard came off the bench for all but six of the 25 games he played in, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists during his freshman season.
When James entered the draft, many scouts and experts believed he needed more development and wasn’t NBA-ready. That may still be true today, but the Lakers bet on James’ ceiling, selecting him late in the second round in hopes he could develop into the solid two-way guard many expected him to be when he was a four-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon.
James will not only be thriving with a new coaching staff led by first-time coach JJ Redick, but likely under the tutelage of his father as well.
Bronny James poses for a photo during the 2024 NBA Combine at Wintrust Arena on May 13, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images)
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It’s an emotional time for the James family, from a personal standpoint, and now a professional one.
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