LeBron “Brony” James Jr. is taking his talents to Los Angeles, where history awaits with his father.
James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, was drafted by his father’s Lakers with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday after going undrafted in the first round. If the pair takes the court, it will be the first time in NBA history that a father and son have played together.
The 6-foot-2 guard from the University of Southern California was a major talking point leading up to the draft. Although a lot of hype comes from his last name, his game has steadily developed over the years to prepare him for this moment.
Yahoo Sports NBA Draft analyst Kristen Peek predicts James will be taken with the 55th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers.
“James is far from a finished product, but he proved he belongs in this draft class as a prospect at the draft combine, where he shot the ball well and showed high scoring ability in the lane with his floater,” Peek wrote in his most recent article. mock draft.
Despite sharing genes with one of the greatest basketball players of all time, experts weren’t high on James coming into the draft in 2003 when his father was selected No. 1 overall. There is a reason for that. James’ underwhelming freshman season at USC. The guard averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting just under 40%. The Trojans didn’t get along with the team, and it’s clear that James’ first and only season in college didn’t go as planned.
On July 25, James collapsed from a heart attack during USC basketball practice. He was hospitalized and remained stable before being discharged three days later. A health scare halted what was supposed to be a ramp-up to his college season. He was unable to practice until late November before playing his first college game in December.
James has shown potential all year. One of his best games came early in the season when he scored 15 points against Oregon State.
The freshman only scored in double figures three times. For every electrifying fast-break dunk that reminded fans and scouts of his basketball pedigree, came a head-scratching shot or decision on the court that questions James’ legitimacy as an NBA prospect.
“If his name is Joe Thomas we won’t talk about him,” An NBA executive told the New York Post. “The little combo guard isn’t going to develop yet and has a good feel for how to play. A great bowler, streaky shooter, strong, vertical athlete and not just a decent defender.
Despite the reluctance of many scouts and executives, history shows that the sons of NBA players often outperform their draft positioning.
“You don’t want to rank him high because of his father, so you might be downgrading,” an anonymous Eastern Conference GM told Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstraw.
Haberstroke noticed a trend in players like Knicks guard Jalen Brunson who had a father in the league, and who sometimes became All-Star-caliber players.
“As we talk about Broney’s candidacy, it’s worth pointing out that the success of second-generation players like Brunson isn’t the exception; it’s the rule. Jalen Brunson (33rd in 2018; son of Rick), Domantas Sabonis (11th in 2016, son of Arvidas) and Stephen Curry (2009 7th overall; son of Dell) — not to mention perennial All-Stars such as Kobe Bryant (13th in 1996; son of Joe “Jellybean” Bryant) (11th in 2011) and Devin Booker (13th in 2015); Melvin’s son) weren’t even top-10 picks.”
Brony James’ pre-draft process had some mixed messages
Many believed James would be drafted as his father told The Athletic in 2022 that he wanted to play with his son before he retired.
“My last year will be playing with my son,” LeBron said at the time. “Wherever Brony is, I’ll be there. I will do anything to play with my son for a year. It wasn’t about the money at the time.
LeBron has doubled down on his comments. The 39-year-old is “removed from the idea of playing with Brony,” says Brony James’ agent Rich Ball.
“If he does, he does, but if he doesn’t, he doesn’t” Paul told ESPN. “If the Lakers draft Broney at 55, there’s no deal that’s guaranteed. [LeBron] Will sign again. If that were the case, I’d force them to take me at 17. We don’t need foreign exchange. The Lakers can draft Broney and not re-sign LeBron. LeBron didn’t go to Phoenix for a minimum contract. We can crush it now. There are other teams that want Broney.
This is what Paul said publicly. In person it might have been a different matter. When the second round was played, former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, now an ESPN broadcaster, called Paul teams and told them that if they chose Broney, he would play in Australia instead.
Paul had a specific goal in mind, which has now apparently been accomplished.
James finished his high school career at Sierra Canyon as a four-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American. The guard averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals his senior year of high school.
