Before Thursday, there never had been a father-son duo playing in the NBA at the same time. And now, the first father-son pair is set to be teammates after the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James — the eldest son of LeBron James — with the 55th pick in the second round of the draft.
“Beyond blessed,” Bronny James wrote in an Instagram post.
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.
“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 vice president of basketball operations and 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.”
Bronny, 19, averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game in his lone season at USC. He joined the Trojans in game action midseason after being sidelined for nearly five months while recovering from a cardiac arrest episode that required surgery to treat a congenital heart defect.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound guard was medically cleared to be drafted by the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel on the eve of the draft combine last month.
The former McDonald’s All-American saw his stock improve in Chicago during the combine, where he tested well in agility drills and finished as one of the top performers in the 3-point shooting drills.
The Lakers begin NBA Summer League play against the Houston Rockets on July 12 in Las Vegas.
