Drafting Bronny James with the 55th pick in the NBA Draft was a no-brainer for the Los Angeles Lakers. After stealing Dalton Knecht at pick 17, the Lakers stuck to their Hollywood roots by pairing LeBron James with his eldest son.
“Bronny is, first and foremost, a person of high character. And secondly, he’s a young man who works incredibly hard. Those are the qualities we look for in drafting players and adding to our developmental core at the Lakers.
He had a great draft workout with us where he displayed those qualities,” said Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka.
Welcome to the Purple & Gold ? pic.twitter.com/6NPsHXbXlz
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 27, 2024
The selection ensures LeBron will remain with the team for the upcoming season. He has the ability to hit the open market or accept a $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season. There was little speculation that James would be on the move this offseason, but now there is zero chance he would consider leaving the purple and gold.
No father-son duo has ever played together in the NBA, and Los Angeles was wise to make the decision based on the storyline alone. The first time they take the court together will be a sight to see that could ultimately go down as one of the greatest achievements of LeBron James’ career, which is saying a lot for a player that many have as the greatest basketball player of all time.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. are the most notable father-son tandem to take the stage together during a major pro sporting event. The two shared the outfield for the Cincinnati Reds in 1989 and made headlines by hitting back-to-back home runs.
The only other time it happened at the highest level was when Gordie Howe played with his two sons, Mark and Marty, during the 1979-80 NHL season.
The move makes sense from a business perspective as Lakers’ games will be the hottest ticket in the NBA next season, and jersey sales will likely be the highest for any rookie taken in the late second round of the draft.
It also makes sense from an on-the-court perspective. Bronny James is only 19 years old and has the athleticism and basketball IQ to develop into a quality player in the NBA. He was a good defender in college who has drawn comparisons to perennial All-NBA defenders like Jrue Holiday and has shown flashes of being someone who can be a knockdown three-pointer shooter at the professional level.
His father is one of the greatest distributors of basketball to ever play, and there is little doubt that passing will also be another big part of Bronny’s game.
Family business. pic.twitter.com/oBoVHA8doA
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 27, 2024
Coming out after his freshman season at USC, critics will say he was only drafted because of LeBron. He only averaged 4.8 points per game in college while shooting 36.6 percent from the field.
His numbers were not impressive, but he only played 25 games and missed much of the offseason after suffering a cardiac arrest during a practice early on at USC. He had very little time to prepare and, after being treated for a rare heart defect, fought his way back quicker than expected to contribute for the Trojans.
“In terms of his work ethic, we’ve all seen that lived out, too. He’s not a person who has ever taken shortcuts or expected or been entitled about basketball opportunities,” said Pelinka.
He was the number 20 overall-rated player in his high school class and was, at one point, projected to be an NBA lottery pick before going down with his heart issue. He profiles as a 3-and-D player in the league, which is one of the most highly coveted and valued prototypes in the modern NBA.
Many scouts and former players have claimed that his game will translate better to the NBA than it ever would have in college, making his decision to turn pro an easy one.
The Lakers take on very little risk by selecting James with a late second-round pick, and the reward if he develops accordingly could be massive. Even if he does not, it is already a win for the franchise and the James family.
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.”