It at all times gave the impression to be the Los Angeles Lakers or nowhere for Bronny James, the son of celebrity LeBron James. Within the second spherical of the 2024 NBA Draft, the purple and gold made it occur with the fifty fifth total choose on Thursday night time.
In movies of James’ preliminary response to getting drafted hit social media, the USC product tried his finest to maintain his tears in as household and pals celebrated listening to his title referred to as on the tv.
James was conserving his head excessive as one might inform he was sniffing again no matter waterworks could have been coming.
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Bronny James shoots a free throw in the course of the 2024 NBA basketball Draft Mix in Chicago, Tuesday, Might 14, 2024. (AP Picture/Nam Y. Huh)
His mom, Savannah, handed him a Lakers hat, which he placed on as he bowed his head.
One other video from James’ youthful brother, Bryce, was posted as he instantly mentioned, “Yessir!” in elation on the choose.
As soon as the cheers died down, ESPN reported {that a} champagne toast had been made by the elder James and that it was “very emotional.”
LAKERS SELECT LEBRON JAMES’ SON, BRONNY, IN NBA DRAFT
The emotion probably comes from a pair elements aside from the pure pleasure of being drafted by an NBA workforce.
The primary is the apparent one: James can now play along with his father, who was anticipated to choose out of his present cope with the Lakers, however has a non-financial incentive now to return subsequent season.
The Jameses are the primary father-son duo to ever play within the NBA on the identical time.
Bronny James talks along with his father, LeBron James, after the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Boys Sport at Toyota Heart. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs)
James suffered a cardiac arrest in July 2023, and later underwent a process to deal with a congenital coronary heart defect.
There was a time when basketball could not have been in James’ future, however he would get on the court docket at USC later that season. The 6-foot-4 guard got here off the bench in all however six of his 25 video games, averaging 4.8 factors, 2.8 rebounds and a pair of.1 assists in his freshman season.
When he declared for the draft, many scouts and consultants believed that James needed to develop extra and that he wasn’t NBA-ready. Whereas that will nonetheless be the case, the Lakers are betting on James’ ceiling, taking him late within the second spherical in hopes that he can grow to be the stable two-way guard many believed he might be when he was a four-star recruit popping out of Sierra Canyon.
James shall be growing with not only a new teaching employees, led by first-time coach JJ Redick, but in addition below the probably steerage of his father.
Bronny James poses for a photograph in the course of the 2024 NBA Mix on Might 13, 2024, at Wintrust Area in Chicago, Illinois. (Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE through Getty Photographs)
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From a private, and now skilled, perspective, it’s an emotional time for the James household.
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