By Homero De la Fuente, CNN
(CNN) — The Los Angeles Lakers have selected Bronny James, the eldest son of superstar LeBron James, with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday.
James is now poised to play alongside his father, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, where they could become the first father-son duo to play in the league at the same time.
Bronny James reacted to being drafted by the Lakers with a post on his Instagram story, saying, “Beyond blessed.”
“Bronny is first and foremost a person of high character. And secondly, he’s a young man who works incredibly hard,” Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “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.”
“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.”
In his lone season at the University of Southern California, he played in 25 games, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
In July 2023, the 19-year-old was hospitalized after suffering a cardiac arrest during a basketball practice at USC. As a result, the freshman guard missed the first eight games of the season as he recovered from a medical procedure to treat a congenital heart defect.
While in high school at Sierra Canyon, James was named a 2022-23 McDonald’s High School All-American and was considered the No. 20 prospect by ESPN in the Class of 2023.
Meanwhile, LeBron James has previously spoken of his strong desire to play with his son in the NBA.
“My last year will be played with my son,” James told the Athletic in 2022. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
James is potentially entering free agency this summer – he has until Saturday to decide to take up his player option for over $51 million or opt out of his current Lakers contract.
Bronny James will have a chance to make his first appearance wearing a Lakers uniform during the 2024 NBA Summer League from July 12 through July 22.
The-CNN-Wire
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