LeBron Jamess son Bronny was drafted by the Lakers, father & son will play together
LeBron James is 39 years old, and he’s turning 40 in December. He’s still playing and he has until Saturday to confirm that he’ll play with the LA Lakers for the next season, and it’s looking like he will absolutely stay in LA. Mostly because LeBron’s 19 year old son Bronny James has just been drafted to the Lakers. If LeBron stays with the Lakers, this will be the first time a father-and-son duo play at the same time, and the first time a father and son play for the same NBA team.
Before Thursday, there never had been a father-son duo playing in the NBA at the same time. And now, the first father-son pair is set to be teammates after the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James — the eldest son of LeBron James — with the 55th pick in the second round of the draft. “Beyond blessed,” Bronny James wrote in an Instagram post.
The James family received the news while gathered together at an intimate dinner party in New York, sources told ESPN. LeBron’s mother, Gloria, and wife Savannah’s parents attended, along with some of Bronny’s closest friends and confidants. After the Lakers delivered their decision, LeBron led the group in a champagne toast to commemorate the occasion, a source told ESPN, and was “very emotional” considering the weight of the moment.
“In the history of the NBA, there’s never been a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court and that feels like something that could be magical,” Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said. “We know, and have to respect of course, that LeBron has a decision on his opt-out … but if it worked out that he was on our team next season, NBA history could be made. And NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform.”
Bronny, 19, averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game in his lone season at USC. He joined the Trojans in game action midseason after being sidelined for nearly five months while recovering from a cardiac arrest episode that required surgery to treat a congenital heart defect. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound guard was medically cleared to be drafted by the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel on the eve of the draft combine last month.
Bronny’s father has until 5 p.m. ET Saturday to opt into the final year of his Lakers contract — worth $51.4 million for next season — or become an unrestricted free agent. The Lakers are focused on retaining LeBron James for his 22nd season and beyond and are willing to offer the 39-year-old the maximum three-year, $162 million deal he is eligible for to keep him with the franchise, sources told ESPN.
For LeBron, I imagine this is all positive – he adores his children, and it’s probably the fulfillment of a dream to see his oldest join his team. For Bronny though… those are such enormous shoes to fill, and everyone will compare him to his dad. Even if you don’t believe that LeBron is the GOAT, you have to admit that he makes a strong case and he’s consistently been in the GOAT conversations for years. That’s a lot for a 19-year-old kid trying to carve out his own identity and his own path. Still, I hope the whole family is enjoying the jokes and memes about how LeBron is sleeping with his teammate’s mother.
LeBron James and Bronny James become the first father and son duo to be in the NBA at the same time.
Now they are teammates on the Lakers! pic.twitter.com/dITQ4WQ9RA
— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2024
Savannah James addresses the rumors pic.twitter.com/LbUEugfalz
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) June 28, 2024
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty, Cover Images.
Bronny James courtside for Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, 06 May 2023.,Image: 774372816, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: JERRY PEREZ / Avalon 
Bronny James courtside for Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, 06 May 2023.,Image: 774372817, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: JERRY PEREZ / Avalon 
LEBRON James (usa) LAKERS NBA Player, portrait during the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2023 on the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans from June 10 to 11, 2023 in Le Mans, France -,Image: 782663507, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: 02623006, Model Release: no, Credit line: THOMAS FENETRE / Panoramic / Avalon
LeBron James at the college basketball game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the USC Trojans at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. LeBron James at the college basketball game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the USC Trojans at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. Los Angeles CA Copyright: x0x,Image: 854900958, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/0 / Avalon 
Paris Fashion Week – Menswear Spring/Summer 2024 – Louis Vuitton Front Row. Featuring: Savannah James and her husband Lebron James When: 20 Jun 2023 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcW9oaX16e8uemaunnpS3ornErKqYq5%2BjrKO%2BzqelspenlsCgsNGana2dlJSvuqvToZyYpJGgsrO%2Fvp%2BYraCVp6y0u82YrqKknJS9ra3YmKuon5Wptaa%2Bjg%3D%3D