LeBron James first expressed the dream of playing in the NBA with one of his sons a few years back.
Now, that dream is closer to reality.
Bronny James, the eldest son of the NBA’s leading scorer and four-time champion, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The Lakers are the team his father has been playing for since 2018. Bronny James was selected with the No. 55 overall pick in the deep second round, with only three picks left in this year’s draft.
What adds to the intrigue is that LeBron James could potentially become a free agent next week, allowing him to leave the Lakers and sign with another team.
While the draft selection doesn’t guarantee that the father and son will play together, or that Bronny James will be on the Lakers’ roster next season, it does raise the possibility of an unprecedented NBA moment – a father-son duo playing together in the league. While there have been instances in NBA history of players joining the league after their fathers played, they have always come several years after the father’s career ended.
LeBron James’ extraordinary longevity, set to equal Vince Carter’s record for the longest NBA career next season (his 22nd season), makes this father-son duo a possibility.
“With the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select Bronny James from the University of Southern California,” announced NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, making the moment official for the 19-year-old guard. Bronny, listed at 6-foot-4 on USC’s roster, measured at 6 feet, 1 1/2 inches at the draft combine.
Bronny James played one season at USC, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He missed the beginning of the season last year due to a congenital heart defect that led to a cardiac arrest during a workout. Doctors cleared him for NBA play last month.
On Day 2 of the draft, 24 players were selected ahead of Bronny James. While the 55th pick typically doesn’t attract much attention, the unique circumstances surrounding this selection garnered significant interest.
The best No. 55 pick in NBA history is Miami Heat guard Patty Mills, who has scored 7,893 points in his 15-season career. Other notable No. 55 picks include Marc Iavaroni, Mark Blount, Kenny Gattison, and E’Twaun Moore. No No. 55 pick has become an NBA All-Star, All-NBA player, All-Rookie team member, or All-Defensive team selection.
Last season’s No. 55 pick, Isaiah Wong, scored two points for Indiana as a rookie. The cumulative career scoring total of all No. 55 picks is 28,364 points – more than 12,000 points less than LeBron James’ career total.
