It was the dream that LeBron James first floated a few years ago, the notion of playing in the NBA alongside one of his sons. And it's a step closer to reality now. Bronny James—the eldest son of the NBA's all-time scoring leader and four-time champion—was drafted Thursday by the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that his father has played for since 2018. Bronny James was taken with the No. 55 overall pick, deep in the second round and with only three picks remaining in this year's draft, the AP reports. "Beyond blessed," Bronny James wrote in an Instagram post. A source tells ESPN his dad was "very emotional" at the news.
- The draft move doesn't guarantee that father and son will actually play in a game together, nor does it even guarantee that Bronny James will be on the Lakers' roster next season. But it certainly raises the possibility that it could happen in what would be an NBA first—a father-son on-court duo in the league simultaneously as players. There have been about 100 instances in NBA history of players joining the league after their fathers played, but those always came at least five years after the father's career ended.
- Adding further intrigue to the move: LeBron James can become a free agent next week, which means he could choose to leave the Lakers and sign elsewhere. "In the history of the NBA, there's never been a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court and that feels like something that could be magical," Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said. "We know, and have to respect of course, that LeBron has a decision on his opt-out ... but if it worked out that he was on our team next season, NBA history could be made. And NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform."
- The 55th draft pick rarely turns out to be a player who captures a slew of attention. The best 55th pick in NBA history would be current Miami Heat guard Patty Mills, selected in 2009 and someone who has scored 7,893 points in his 15-season career. Some other notable No. 55 picks include Marc Iavaroni, Mark Blount, Kenny Gattison, and E'Twaun Moore. There's never been a No. 55 pick that was an NBA All-Star, an All-NBA player, an All-Rookie team player, or an All-Defensive team pick. Add up every No. 55 pick ever, and their NBA career scoring total is 28,364 points—more than 12,000 points less than LeBron James has scored in his career.
It's possible that Bronny James' debut in a Lakers uniform could be July 12 in Las Vegas, in the franchise's summer league opener against the Houston Rockets.
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