Bronny James joined his father LeBron in the NBA! Bronny, 19, was selected by his father’s team, the Los Angeles Lakers, with the 55th pick during the second round of the NBA draft on Thursday, June 27.
The father-son duo of James will become the first to play in the NBA at the same time, the NBA notes.
“Congratulations to Bronny James on being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers,” former Lakers player Magic Johnson wrote on Xu, formerly Twitter. “This is a historic moment as LeBron and Bronny are the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time and on the same team. Watching Bronny suit up for the @Lakers during Summer League in Vegas will be must-see TV!”
Bronny, the oldest of LeBron’s three children, is now ready to enter the NBA after playing one shortened season at the University of Southern California.
Last February, Bronny was a top 10 pick in the NBA draft according to ESPN. However, health issues and a lackluster freshman season at USC caused Bronny’s draft status to drop.
An anonymous NBA general manager told The Ringer in April that Bronny is “nowhere near ready” to play in the league his father has dominated for the past 20-plus years, becoming the all-time leading scorer and winning four NBA championships and four NBA MVP awards.
“Bronny is nowhere near ready,” said the general manager. “He should go back to school to develop at his own pace or risk getting lost in the tumbling, playing with dad or not.”
Son of LeBron James: All about Bronny James and his relationship with the father of the NBA star
From left: Bryce, LeBron and Bronny James in 2022.
Jeffery Salter/Sports Illustrated/Getty
LeBron’s son missed the first eight games of the NCAA season after suffering cardiac arrest during practice last July. Bronny was diagnosed by doctors with an “anatomically and functionally significant congenital heart defect” and returned to the USC lineup to make his college basketball debut in December with his father on hand to watch.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. “It was all for my family,” LeBron told reporters about watching his sons debut. “It was just an emotional, exhausting day, from the moment we all woke up to the moment the buzzer hit the zeros.”
But Bronny struggled the rest of the year, starting six of the team’s final 25 games and posting 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Bronny James says it’s ‘tough’ being LeBron James’ son: ‘I get a lot of criticism’
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From left: Bronny and LeBron James in July 2023.
Frazer Harrison/Getty
Despite his struggles, LeBron continued to praise his son’s draft stock throughout the NBA season.
In January, amid a dismal stretch that saw the Lakers lose eight of 10 games and fall out of playoff contention, LeBron was heard in the Los Angeles locker room saying that Bronny “could play for us right now, easy.” according to Claire de Lune, NBA contributor for Guard.Playing on the same team as his son Bronny in the NBA was one of LeBron’s final goals in his storied basketball career.
The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now! Gotta be on the floor with my boy, gotta be on the floor with Bronny,” LeBron said after the 2023 season. “Either in the same uniform or fighting him.”
Bronny reportedly impressed scouts at pre-draft workouts, according to ESPN, where he told reporters his goal is to reach the NBA and carve his own legacy, outside of his father’s shadow.
“My dream has always been just to get my name out there, make a name for myself, and of course make it to the NBA, which is everybody’s attitude here,” James said, according to the media release. “I never thought about just playing with my dad, but of course he brought it up a few times.”
LeBron still has to sign the final year of his contract with the Lakers, worth $51.4 million for the 2024-2025 season, until June 29, ESPN writes.
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