It’s official: Bronny James and LeBron James will become the first-ever father-son duo to play at the same time in the NBA — and they will be on the same team.
On June 27, the Los Angeles Lakers selected 19-year-old Bronny James in the 2024 NBA draft. The former USC Trojan was drafted at No. 55 during the second round.
He will soon share the court with his dad, who has spoken for years about his dream of playing with his son.
After the news broke, LeBron James turned to social media to celebrate the news.
"LEGACY!!!!!! 🤴🏾🤴🏾" the proud dad wrote in his Instagram caption on June 27. He shared the message alongside pics and videos of him and Bronny James, including a throwback photo.
During a press conference on April 29, LeBron James said he hadn’t “given it much thought lately” when asked about potentially playing with Bronny James.
“Obviously, I’ve thought about it in the past. But at the end of the day, the kid has to do what he wants to do,” he said at the time.
Bronny James, the superstar athlete’s eldest son, declared for the draft in April and worked out for multiple NBA teams, including the Phoenix Suns and the Lakers.
At an NBA combine press conference, the guard was asked about the role his father would play in helping him get drafted.
“I think I’ve put in the work and I’ll get drafted because of the person, not only the player, but the person that I am,” he said.
Duane Ranki, a Suns insider for The Arizona Republic, described Bronny James as “an NBA talent” when speaking to TODAY.com. Ranki predicted that Bronny James would be drafted during the second round.
Although the teenager is making history by playing with his father —who some considered the greatest basketball player of all time — his road to the NBA wasn’t easy. Before he played his first game for USC, he suffered cardiac arrest in July 2023.
He was diagnosed with “anatomically and functionally significant congenital heart defect,” the James' family spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News at the time.
Bronny James was later cleared to play and made his debut on the college basketball team in December 2023. He played 25 total games and scored a total of 121 points, according to USC.
When speaking about Bronny James performance at the recent combine, Rankin told TODAY.com, “When he went through the combine, and it wasn’t any lingering effects from it, then that’s when you’re like, ‘OK, well, he’s ready’ in the mind of a team.”
He also correctly guessed that Bronny James would land in the City of Angels with his father.
Lakers fans will likely see Bronny James suit up in purple and gold for the first time during the NBA summer league. The first game will be held in Las Vegas on July 12.
