NEW YORK – For Bronny James, the anticipation is over. Now, the work of becoming an NBA player begins.
Being the son of LeBron James, James went through one of the most scrutinized pre-draft processes in recent memory. He was in the spotlight unlike anyone else in his draft class, as he had been since he was a freshman in high school. In a year with no high-profile names at the top of the draft and no obvious No. 1 pick, James was the highlight of the draft, going 55th overall to his father’s team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The moment Bronny James was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers
🎥 _justbrice/IG pic.twitter.com/lnaTFSWabB
– The Athletic (@TheAthletic) 27 June 2024
While the hype will continue, and follow him to the fishbowl league, James’ real life in the NBA is going to be pretty normal. Being selected late in the second round, little is expected of him as a player. Most players drafted late are lucky to receive a guaranteed contract, although James’ agent Rich Paul at Klutch Sports Group publicly stated that James would not sign a two-way deal. Many late second-round players do not even make the roster when the regular season begins or remain on it as long as it lasts.
However, Bronny James is not like other rookies. His path forward, at least from a basketball perspective, will be unique. But next year his circumstances will be most unusual. A new NBA player at age 19, in his first year with the Lakers, he was able to spend almost every day of the next year with his father.
LeBron James must first decide if he wants to stay with the franchise. He can opt out of his contract for next season and has until Saturday to do so. If he does that, he can re-sign and stay in Los Angeles. Once LeBron and Bronny are both under NBA contract, it will be the first time that a father and son will be in the NBA at the same time, let alone playing together.
“It feels like it could be magical,” Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said Thursday. “We know and have to respect that LeBron has made the decision regarding his opt-out. …If it works out that he’s on our team next season, NBA history could be made. And NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform.
Bronny James’ first time on the court in a Lakers uniform could come on July 6, when the Lakers open a three-game slate with a matchup against the Sacramento Kings in the California Classic Summer League. Then comes a trip to Las Vegas for more summer-league action.
Training camp will begin in September, likely in Hawaii, where the franchise has held several pre-season practices over the past few years. This may be a small measure of relief for the James family as Bronny James is likely to be away from the constant attention in Los Angeles. He may find solace in the everyday demands of an NBA player, from the never-ending travel to shootarounds to the camaraderie of a professional team.
It will be interesting to see how James handles this pressure, something he has faced since he was a teenager. hHe acknowledged at the NBA Draft Combine last month that it could still take a toll.
“That’s a lot,” he said. “It has made me a stronger person. I’m extremely grateful for all of this, but sometimes it’s too much.”
This would certainly be noisy and possibly inappropriate. James will enter the NBA with a profile that goes far beyond his pedigree. Expectations will be high, and claims of nepotism on the Lakers’ account will be loud. Any miss, or even lack of a chance to play, will only add to the tension.
James has just tried to ignore it. According to the consensus rankings, he was the 17th-ranked player in his high school class. His lone season at USC was marred by a catastrophic health issue last July when he suffered a cardiac arrest during a practice and was taken to the hospital. While James recovered and returned to the floor and competitive games, he said the fear of that day remained. This may have colored his time at USC, where he struggled as a freshman, averaging just 4.8 points and 19.3 minutes in 25 games.
This did not reduce any speculation about his future. In 2022, LeBron James said he wanted to play with his son before retiring. Bronny James has since seen his career follow his father’s lead. Nevertheless, Bronny believed that he would not be selected just because of his family connections.
“This is a serious business,” he said last month. “And I don’t think there would be any thought of, ‘I’m going to draft this kid just because I’m going to take his dad.’ I don’t think any GM would actually allow that.”
Now, they will live together.
Just making it to the NBA should be considered a success for James, even for a highly rated high school prospect, given the odds of getting there. A player as low as James would be lucky to be drafted as a rookie, let alone get into an NBA game as a rookie, let alone join the team’s rotation. Isaiah Wong, last year’s 55th overall pick, played just one game for the Indiana Pacers last season. Only six second-round picks from the 2023 draft appeared in at least 40 games last season.
It remains to be seen whether the Lakers keep James on an NBA roster or send him to the G League. Pelinka and new head coach JJ Redick have already stated that they expect this team to be in a position to compete for a deep run in the playoffs after 47 wins and a first-round exit last spring.
Even players selected at the top of the draft struggle to be productive and efficient during their rookie year. There may be few minutes available for James, and he may need more seasoning with the South Bay Lakers, where he will get playing time to develop.
“He’s not a guy who has ever taken or expected or deserved shortcuts when it comes to basketball opportunities,” Pelinka said. “She has worked for everything she has achieved, including being elected today at the age of 55.”
(Photo: Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
Discover more from news2source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
