The basketball world was set ablaze on June 27 when the Lakers selected Bronny James, the oldest son of LeBron James, with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Scores of James’ peers and teammates in the NBA reacted to the news via social media. Steph Curry, who previously battled “The King” in the NBA Finals on four occasions, re-posted a picture of a younger Bronny sharing a moment on the bench with his father when the latter was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2010s.
Dwyane Wade, a former teammate of James, referred to Lakers drafting Bronny as “one of the dopest moments” in the history of the NBA.
Wade, one of James’ closest real-life friends, has been one of Bronny’s mentors in his young basketball journey. In 2021, Wade referred to Bronny as “a complete basketball player” while reacting to Bronny’s high school exploits at Sierra Canyon.
Elsewhere, Lakers legend Magic Johnson highlighted that James and Bronny were poised to become the first father-son duo to share the same locker room in the NBA. Johnson felt Bronny’s inclusion in the Lakers’ 2024 NBA Summer League squad would make for “must-see” television. The tourney gets underway on July 6, 2024.
Lakers Embracing Bronny James
Many of Bronny’s future Lakers teammates were also thrilled for the 19-year-old to accomplish his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA.
Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood — three players under contract with the Lakers in the 2024-25 season — shared their reactions via social media.
Even new Lakers coach JJ Redick appeared elated in the Lakers’ war room seconds after the franchise selected Bronny with the No. 55 pick on June 27.
According to Lakers front-office head Rob Pelinka, Redick was keen to maximize Bronny’s potential. In a post-draft interview with Spectrum SportsNet, Pelinka said Redick believes Bronny has the tools to be an “elite two-way player” in the NBA.
“He is a young man of high character and extraordinary work ethic,” Pelinka said of Bronny. “And those are foundational things as you build a culture. If you can find young players that are built on those pillars, the development can come. And I know JJ Redick and his staff are already putting a plan around Bronny and how they want to develop him into an elite two-way player. He’s 19 years old, so everyone has to be patient. But the foundation is there for him to be an important player for years to come.”
Lakers Continue to Honor History
As one of the most decorated franchises in sports, the Lakers have always been attracted to the idea of making history. To that end, the Purple & Gold wasn’t willing to forego becoming the first franchise to field a father-son duo on the same roster. After the June 27 NBA Draft, Pelinka spoke on the historical factor behind drafting Bronny.
“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,” Pelinka told the media. “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.”
As Pelinka mentioned, the senior James had yet to make a call on his future with the Lakers as of June 28. That said, he was widely expected to sign a new contract to end his storied career with the Lakers franchise.
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