LeBron James has talked about playing with his son Bronny in the NBA for years, and that dream is finally coming true as the Los Angeles Lakers took the 19-year-old with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul did what he could to keep teams from taking Bronny beforehand, and the Lakers followed through with the expected selection with their late second-round pick.
The James family was in New York to celebrate the occasion, and according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, LeBron gave an emotional toast to celebrate:
The James family received the news while gathered together at an intimate dinner party in New York, sources told ESPN. LeBron’s mother, Gloria, and wife Savannah’s parents attended, along with some of Bronny’s closest friends and confidants.
After the Lakers delivered their decision, LeBron led the group in a champagne toast to commemorate the occasion, a source told ESPN, and was “very emotional” considering the weight of the moment.
Bronny has come a long way, specifically over the last year after suffering cardiac arrest and nearly losing his life last summer. LeBron, Savannah and the entire James family were there with Bronny every step of the way, so this was an understandably emotional celebration after getting drafted into the NBA.
With Bronny only having played limited minutes during his lone season at USC due to the heart issue, he will need some time to develop his game and will do so alongside his dad in the Lakers organization. LeBron still has yet to decide on his future, although it is hard to imagine him leaving this summer now that Bronny will be in L.A.
It will be another emotional celebration for the James family when LeBron and Bronny take the floor together for the first time, which will be another first in NBA history. LeBron James has won four championships and is the league’s all-time leading scorer, but that moment with Bronny will probably rank at the top of the list when he ends his career.
Isaiah Collier believes Bronny James will thrive in NBA
One person who believes Bronny James will have success at the NBA level is his former teammate at USC Isaiah Collier.
“The NBA is going to be great for him,” Collier said of Bronny James during the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago on May 12. “People haven’t seen as much as what we’ve seen as a team. He’s going to be a great player. Little that people know, he’s really good …”
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