Bronny James, Lebron’s son, taken by Lakers
It was the dream that Lebron James first floated a few years ago, the notion of playing in the NBA alongside one of his sons. And it’s a step closer to reality now.
Bronny James — the oldest son of the Nba’s all-time scoring leader and four-time champion — was drafted thursday by the los Angeles lakers, the team that his father has played for since 2018. bronny James was taken with the 55th overall pick, deep in the second round and with only three picks remaining in the draft.
“Beyond blessed,” bronny James wrote on Instagram.
Adding further intrigue: lebron James can become a free agent next week, which means he could choose to leave the lakers and sign elsewhere.
“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 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.”
The draft move doesn’t guarantee that father and son will actually play in a game together, nor does it even guarantee that bronny James will be on the lakers’ roster next season. but it certainly raises the possibility that it could happen in what would be an NBA first — a father-son on-court duo in the league simultaneously as players. there have been about 100 instances in NBA history of players joining the league after their fathers played, but those always came at least five years after the father’s career ended.
Bronny James is a guard, one who was listed at 6 feet 4 inches on southern cal’s roster but measured at 6-1½ at the draft combine. that would make him one of the shortest players in the NBA, but his athleticism and defensive ability helped give him this opportunity.
Bronny James played one year at Usc and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. he played in 25 games, missing the start of the season after needing a procedure last year to fix what was diagnosed as a congenital heart defect, which was found after he went into cardiac arrest during a summer workout. Doctors cleared bronny James for NBA play last month.
Locals selected
New England basketball made its presence felt in the second round of the draft, with st. george’s product tyler kolek and boston college center
Quinten Post taken. kolek, the big East Player of the Year and conference tournament MVP for marquette as a junior in 2022-23, was taken No. 34 by the trail blazers, who reportedly traded the point guard to the knicks. Post, meanwhile, went No. 52 to the Warriors.
Kolek averaged 15.3 points with a nation-leading 7.7 assists per game last season, wrapping up a college career that began with a season at george mason, where the cumberland, R.I., native and two-time Independent school league MVP was Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year. he transferred when coach Dave Paulsen was fired.
Post, a 7-foot Dutchman, blossomed at the heights after two seasons as a reserve at mississippi state. Post averaged 15.1 points, then bumped that up to 17.0 last season.
Jackson to Hornets
the hornets acquired veteran guard Reggie Jackson and three future second-round picks from Denver in a move that will open up salary-cap space for the Nuggets. the 34-year-old Jackson, a former bc star, played in all 82 games last season and averaged 10.2 points.