Bronny James, the 19-year-old son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, made headlines as he was chosen 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers during Thursday’s second round of the NBA Draft.
LeBron James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and four-time NBA champion, has expressed his desire to play alongside his son in what would be a historic father-son combination in NBA history.
Bronny, a guard for the University of Southern California, showcased his skills after a successful high school career. Despite collapsing during a practice session last July due to a congenital heart defect, he has been cleared by doctors to play both in US college basketball and, more recently, in the NBA.
As a top defensive prospect with elite athletic abilities, Bronny James may need time to fully develop as an NBA player. Meanwhile, LeBron James faces a decision: he can either opt into the final year of his Lakers contract by Saturday or explore free agency, which wouldn’t prevent him from re-signing with the Lakers.
ESPN reports that agent Rich Paul warned teams ahead of the Lakers in the draft order that Bronny James might choose to play in Australia rather than engage with certain clubs.
The Phoenix Suns, lacking a second-round pick due to a free agency tampering violation, were the only team other than the Lakers to have a pre-draft workout with Bronny James.
In addition to Bronny, the NBA Draft saw French prospect Zaccharie Risacher taken as the top overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks. Other international talents selected early in the second round include Australian swingman Johnny Furphy, Spanish guard Juan Nunez, and Swedish forward Bobi Klintman.
The draft also featured Belgian guard Ajay Mitchell, Nigerian center Adem Bona, Serbian forward Nikola Djurisic, and Swedish guard Pelle Larsson, among others.
