Lakers select USC’s Bronny James, son of NBA star LeBron James, with 55th pick in NBA Draft

Everyone knew it was coming, but that did not make the moment any less special for some.

With the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected USC freshman guard Bronny James, the eldest son of four-time league MVP LeBron James. They become the first father-son duo in league history to be in the league at the same time. More noteworthy, they are doing it as teammates.

LeBron, entering his 22nd season in the NBA, had been telling the media for years that he wanted the chance to play one year with his son before his illustrious career came to an end.

During ESPN’s second-round broadcast, former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers said Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul had to intervene to make it happen. But the 39-year-old’s dream ultimately came true, and with that comes more history for the James family.

Bronny, 19, certainly inherited some of his father’s basketball prowess. He was a five-star recruit coming out of Sierra Canyon High School, the No. 20 player in the country per ESPN, and was named a McDonald’s All-American. Some early mock drafts projected him to be a lottery pick. But ahead of his freshman season in college, a serious medical scare left many concerned that his professional dreams would not come to fruition.

Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest during an offseason workout on USC’s campus last summer, which forced him to miss the Trojans’ first eight games. When he was medically cleared to return to the court, averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 25 appearances. Most prospects would have no chance of getting drafted with those kinds of averages.

However, Bronny impressed enough in his pre-draft workouts to validate his place in the league in the eyes of some scouts. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka made the call of a lifetime, and now Bronny has a chance to walk his own path in the NBA.

The Lakers went 47-35 last season and were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. LeBron, still one of the best all-around players in the league despite his age, averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists last season.