Tag: James

LeBron James says gold is all that matters at Paris Olympics

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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers responds to a question from a reporter during training camp for the United States men’s basketball team Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)

LAS VEGAS — He first played on the U.S. Olympic team as a 19-year-old. He did it again in his 20s, twice. And now, a few months from turning 40, he’s back for one more run.

LeBron James didn’t need another Olympic experience to complete some missing box on his resume or add to a legacy that was secured long, long ago. He decided to play this summer for one simple reason — because he wants to.

Taking his first steps toward becoming the first U.S. men’s basketball player to compete at the Olympics in three different decades, James hit the floor Saturday with the team that the Americans are sending to the Paris Games later this month. Training camp opened in Las Vegas, the start of a 5 1/2-week quest where the only acceptable ending will be the U.S. winning gold for a fifth consecutive time.

READ: NBA: LeBron James agrees to 2-year extension with Lakers

“I’m still playing a high level,” James, a three-time Olympic medalist — two golds and one bronze — said Saturday after the first workout. “I still love the game of basketball. And Team USA has done well by me, so I felt like it was important for this summer to be able to go out there and play with the rest of the guys.”

The first practice came on a day of another first for the James family; the workout in Las Vegas was simultaneous to the Los Angeles Lakers’ first game in the California Classic summer league — the pro debut of Bronny James, the son of the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.

It would have been very easy for James to ask for Day 1 off, to go see his son’s debut. It was never a consideration. He took the floor shortly after the buses rolled in, slapping hands with teammates, throwing down dunks and reconnecting with two of his former coaches — Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue, both of whom won NBA titles with James on their squads.

“I was blown away by how hard he practices,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said. “I went to Ty and Spo, and I said, ‘Is this normal?’ And they said, ‘Every day, every day.’ And then I said to Spo, ‘What about way back when you got him?’ And Spo said, ‘Every day, every drill, every walkthrough.’”

Kerr has coached against James in four NBA Finals, all of which featured Golden State guard Stephen Curry — who plays for Kerr with the Warriors and is making his Olympic debut this summer.

And it’s fair to say that teaming up was part of what intrigued James and Curry when it was time to decide whether to play in Paris or not.

READ: LeBron, Steph Curry ‘excited’ to join forces for Paris Olympics

“I’ve talked to both of them about this idea of being together after going against one another with such high stakes over the years,” Kerr said. “They obviously fit really well together. The idea of Steph playing off the ball, and LeBron pushing it in transition, that’s pretty intriguing. Obviously, Steph will play on the ball as well. And LeBron has become such a good shooter, but they’re both so good at so many different areas of the game. I think they’re really excited to compete together for the first time”

James was part of the U.S. teams that won bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2006 world championships (now called the World Cup) in Japan. And ever since then, the Americans have gone unbeaten when James is wearing USA across his chest in international play.

Starting with the bronze medal game in Japan 18 years ago, the U.S. has played 36 games — 10 at the FIBA Americas tournament in 2007, then four exhibitions before and eight games at the 2008 Beijing Games, then five more exhibitions and eight games at the 2012 London Games — with James in uniform. The record: 36-0. He hopes it’s 47-0 when this summer’s run ends.

“I’m here to have a good summer,” James said.

Even after not playing in Rio de Janeiro or Tokyo, James will be participating in his fourth Olympics — tying the record for the most by any U.S. men’s player. Only Carmelo Anthony has played in four Olympics for the U.S. men to this point; Kevin Durant will play in his fourth this summer as well.

That’s a nice side note, but not the thing James is thinking about these days.



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“Our only goal,” he said, “is to win a gold medal.”

Looking lot like dad, Bronny James makes NBA Summer League debut

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James dribbles during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in San Francisco, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

SAN FRANCISCO — Once that second-quarter layup went in and he finally had his first NBA points after a trio of misses, Bronny James could exhale and everything began to slow down.

He hardly expects to be perfect at this early stage of his professional career, and every touch and possession will provide an opportunity for growth and learning.

He sure felt the love and support Saturday, even playing in the Bay Area ruled by Stephen Curry and the Warriors.

“The atmosphere, it was more than I expected,” a grinning James said. “It’s a big game for me, but I didn’t know the people of Golden State would come and rep for me, so that was pretty nice to see.”

READ: NBA: Bronny James says he can handle playing with dad, Lakers

Oversized headphones on his ears and dressed in full Lakers gold as he geared up for his NBA Summer League debut Saturday, the rookie looked so much like his famous father, LeBron, it caused some at Chase Center to do a double-take.

Down to their familiar mannerisms, facial expressions and the way they run or shuffle back on defense. Bronny James took his place in the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers and his professional career was formally underway, with plenty of scouts in the building to witness it as he wore jersey No. 9 — not to be confused with his dad’s former 6 uniform he sported before switching to 23.

“Every first game that I step on the next level there’s always some butterflies in my stomach, but as soon as the ball tips and we go a couple times down it all goes away and I’m just playing basketball,” he said. “It’s always going to be there but get through it.”

The younger James wound up 2 for 9 for four points, missing all three of his 3s, with a pair of assists, two rebounds and a steal in just under 22 minutes of court time — 21:43 to be exact — as the Lakers lost 108-94 to the Sacramento Kings.

James missed his initial two shots while playing nearly six minutes in his first action — grabbing a defensive rebound 1 minute, 20 seconds into the game then missing a 21-foot jump shot moments later. He came up short on a 26-foot 3-point try at the 4:23 mark of the opening quarter before getting a breather.

READ: NBA: Bronny James ready for pressure after ‘surreal’ Lakers move

There were cheers and a warm ovation when James returned to the court at the 8:17 mark of the second quarter. He was initially whistled for his first career foul on a 3-point attempt by Sacramento’s Xavier Sneed on the right wing with 7:23 remaining, and James argued briefly before the play went to replay review and was overturned. James missed a 3 off the front rim from the top of the arc at 7:04.

Then, at last, James scored his first NBA points on a driving layup 5:51 before halftime.

“Moments like that can slow the game down for you especially because I wasn’t as productive as I wanted to beforehand,” he said. “… I couldn’t get the 3-ball to fall, but all the reps it’s going to come more smooth.”

James missed a pair of free throws at the 4:43 mark of the third period in his first trip to the line.

At one point during his warmup routine, the 6-foot-2 guard stood with hands on hips in a resemblant position to one of his father. And during the game, the son leaned over by the baseline 3-point corner, gripping his knees while waiting for the offensive possession to begin.

READ: Bronny James, LeBron’s son, picked by Lakers in NBA Draft

The younger James was drafted by the Lakers with the 55th overall selection in the second round out of the University of Southern California.

He will get another chance to play Sunday, when the Lakers face the Warriors, again at the Chase Center. Coach Dane Johnson plans to give James plenty of chances to acclimate and gain valuable experience in the coming days and weeks.

“Hopefully he’ll play all the games, we’ll see how it goes,” Johnson said. “We’re going to try to integrate him and get him as many reps as we can. He needs more experience playing.”

Johnson applauded James’ keen court awareness, noting, “we all know he has good instincts already, so finding the consistency within those he’ll build as we keep going forward in the summer league and throughout the coming season. His instincts are there, we’ve just got to keep building habits.”

If all goes as planned, the 19-year-old James and his dad would become the first father-son pair to play in the NBA at the same time — and on the same team no less.

READ: Bronny James grateful as NBA dream in reach after health scare

“What he does in the California Classic and Summer League, it doesn’t matter if he plays well and it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t play well,” LeBron James said at USA Basketball’s training camp in Las Vegas. “I just want him to continue to grow, practices, film sessions, his individual workouts. You can’t take anything as far as stat wise from the California Classic and Summer League and bring it once the season starts. The only thing that matters is him getting better and stacking days.”

Bronny is NBA career scoring leader LeBron’s oldest son. He survived cardiac arrest last July 24 during an informal team workout at USC and it was later determined he had a congenital heart defect. The younger James signed a four-year contract that will pay him $7.9 million.



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He will remind himself along the way to stay aggressive and “believe in myself knowing I can make plays for myself and my teammates.”

“Looking at my mistakes and looking at the things I did right is really good for me,” James said. “But also just game by game growing that comfort in my playing my game, I feel like that’s a big part of why I come out here and get those reps in.”

LeBron James agrees to a 2-year extension with Lakers

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Los Angeles Lakers draft pick Bronny James, left, and his father, LeBron James, share a light moment as they arrive for the NBA basketball team’s news conference in El Segundo, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

LeBron James is making it official: He’s coming back for a record-tying 22nd season in the NBA, one where the league’s all-time scoring leader could share the floor with his son Bronny as teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron has agreed to a two-year contract to remain with the Lakers, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Wednesday. The second year of the deal is at James’ option and means he could become a free agent again next summer, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced publicly.

ESPN reported that the Lakers and LeBron’s agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, may agree on a salary slightly less than the max that LeBron could have gotten — a move that could keep the team from reaching the second apron and preserve some roster flexibility going forward.

READ: Lakers coach JJ Redick still hopes to create great content with LeBron

Either way, the expectation is that James will make around $50 million — give or take a little bit — this coming season, pushing his career on-court earnings to around $530 million and making him the first player in NBA history to eclipse the $500 million mark.

It will be LeBron’s 22nd season in the NBA, tying Vince Carter for the league record. The Lakers selected Bronny James last week in the second round of the draft, putting them in position to have the first on-court father-son duo in NBA history.

Bronny James already has signed his first NBA contract, the Lakers announced Wednesday. It is a four-year deal, the last of those years at the Lakers’ option, worth $7.9 million — with about $1.2 million as his rookie year salary.

Getting his latest deal done clears one logistical hurdle for LeBron James: He needed a contract to be in place before he could take the floor with USA Basketball for the start of its training camp in Las Vegas this weekend, one where the squad will start preparations for the Paris Olympics. James will play in the Olympics for the fourth time, his first since helping the U.S. win gold at the 2012 London Games.

READ: NBA: Bronny James says he can handle playing with LeBron, Lakers

He’ll turn 40 in December and averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists last season — as the oldest active player in the league.

Not only is James the all-time leader in points (40,474), but he’s fourth in assists (11,009), sixth in games played (1,492) and eighth in both 3-pointers made (2,410) and steals (2,275).

His 20 All-Star selections is a record, as are his 20 appearances on the All-NBA team. He holds the records for being both the youngest player, and oldest player, to make an All-NBA squad.

James became the youngest to make All-NBA when he was voted onto the team for the 2004-05 season. This past season, he became the first player to be age 39 or older in what became an All-NBA campaign.



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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan were both just a few days from turning 39 when the regular seasons ended in what became their final All-NBA campaigns, Abdul-Jabbar’s being 1985-86 and Duncan’s being 2014-15. James played in 71 games this past season, the last 42 of those coming after he turned 39.

Bronny James says he can handle playing with dad, Lakers

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Los Angeles Lakers draft pick Bronny James, left, and his father, LeBron James, share a light moment as they arrive for the NBA basketball team’s news conference in El Segundo, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

EL SEGUNDO, California — Bronny James says the opportunity to play professionally alongside his famous father played no role in his decision to enter the NBA draft.

Now that the 19-year-old son of LeBron James has been selected by the Los Angeles Lakers anyway, Bronny says he can still handle all the extra attention and pressure while the James family makes basketball history.

“I’m … trying to get my name out for myself,” Bronny said Tuesday. “I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad. That’s always there to take part of, but it wasn’t a main focus of mine.”

The Lakers formally introduced Bronny James and their first-round pick, Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, in a news conference at their training complex. Los Angeles selected Bronny with the 55th overall pick last week, creating the potential for an NBA first.

No father and son have ever played in the league at the same time, let alone on the same team.

READ: NBA: Bronny James ready for pressure after ‘surreal’ Lakers move

“It’s for sure amplified the amount of pressure,” Bronny James said. “I’ve already seen it in (social) media and on the internet and stuff talking about (how) I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life. It’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure, but I can get through it.”

Bronny reiterated that he didn’t jump to the NBA just because his 39-year-old father is still an active player, acknowledging he didn’t necessarily share his father’s oft-stated dream of playing in the league together. Bronny also knew he couldn’t control where he was drafted, despite what he’s read on social media recently about the Lakers’ pick being a nepotistic effort to keep LeBron James with the Lakers for the rest of his career.

Bronny James is the oldest son of the NBA’s career scoring leader. LeBron James has spent the past six seasons with the Lakers, and he is all but certain to return to the team even though he is currently a free agent after declining his $51.4 million player option for next season.

LeBron James quietly watched his son’s introductory news conference from the back of the Lakers’ gym at their training complex.

Bronny said he’s better prepared for the challenges ahead of him because of “stuff that (LeBron) has been telling me my whole life. Just having that work ethic, and coming in and getting your work in, and listening to your coaches and being coachable, stuff like that he’s driven into my head my whole life.”

READ: NBA: Bronny James to wear No. 9 jersey with Lakers

Bronny James deftly answered questions about everything he’ll face after jumping straight to the NBA from one short season of college basketball. He played inconsistently last winter at USC after recovering from a frightening cardiac event in July 2023.

“The time that I had off, I feel like I could have been perfecting my game more,” Bronny said. “I just feel like I’ve been given the opportunity to showcase what I can really do, because I wasn’t given that much of an opportunity at SC. So I’m excited for what it’s going to be.”

Rather than spending another year in college, Bronny said he expects to improve his game in the Lakers’ player development system being set up under new coach JJ Redick, who emphasized the necessity of developing talent from within the organization after general manager Rob Pelinka hired him last month.

“Rob and I did not give Bronny anything,” Redick said. “Bronny has earned this through hard work. For us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as Case Study 1, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing, there’s a lot to like about his game. As we build out our player development program holistically, he’s going to have the opportunity to be an excellent NBA player.”



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Bronny James and Knecht both expect to play for the Lakers’ summer league teams in Sacramento and Las Vegas this month.

LeBron and Bronny James are likely to join a short list of fathers and sons who have played together in North American professional sports. Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. played together with the Seattle Mariners during parts of the 1990 and 1991 MLB seasons, while hockey great Gordie Howe played with his sons Marty and Mark with the WHA’s Houston Aeros and the NHL’s Hartford Whalers.

Bronny James ready for pressure after ‘surreal’ Lakers move 

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EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 02: Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a photo after a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on July 02, 2024 in El Segundo, California. The Lakers selected Bronny James and Dalton Knecht in the 2024 NBA Draft.  (Getty Images via AFP)

LOS ANGELES – Bronny James said Tuesday he is ready to deal with the pressure of playing alongside his NBA superstar father LeBron as he was formally unveiled by the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 19-year-old former University of Southern California player, chosen by the Lakers last week with the 55th pick in the NBA Draft, will form the first father-and-son double act in NBA history when he suits up for the Lakers next season.

The Lakers’ move for the teenager has been greeted with skepticism in some quarters, with pundits questioning whether the Lakers would have drafted him if he wasn’t LeBron James’ eldest son

Bronny James, with dad LeBron standing in the background, addressed those criticisms head on in Tuesday’s press conference at the Lakers training facility at El Segundo.

It’s for sure an amplified amount of pressure,” Bronny said.

“I’ve already seen it — social media and … the internet and stuff talking about how I might not deserve an opportunity.

“But, you know, I’ve been dealing with stuff like this my whole life. So it’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure. But I’ll get through it.”

James, who was unveiled along with fellow draftee Dalton Knecht, was handed his signature yellow and purple Lakers jersey for the first time.

He will wear a No.9 shirt next season emblazoned with “James Jr.” on it.

“Everything has been surreal, trying to take it all in,” Bronny said about the whirl of emotions he has experienced since being drafted by the Lakers last Thursday.

Bronny said he had not gone into detail about his hopes for his rookie season in talks with his father, who will turn 40 in December in what will be his 22nd season in the NBA.

‘Work ethic’

We haven’t gone too deep into that stuff yet, especially since we haven’t even started summer league yet.

“But just stuff that he’s been telling me my whole life, just having that work ethic and getting your work in and listening to your coaches and being coachable — something he’s driven into my head my whole life.”

Bronny appeared with Lakers new head coach J.J. Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka, and expressed gratitude to the front office for “everything (they) have given to me.”

That drew a clarification from Redick, who himself was controversially appointed to the Lakers head coaching hot seat last month despite never having coached in the league.

“I want to clarify one thing that you just said, which is Rob and I did not give Bronny anything,” Redick said, insisting that the younger James had been recruited on merit.

“Bronny has earned this. Bronny talks about his hard work. Bronny has earned this through hard work,” Redick said.

“We view Bronny as like Case Study 1, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing, there is a lot to like about his game.

“He’s going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player.

“Bronny James, who in July last year suffered a cardiac arrest while practicing with USC in pre-season, said the possibility of playing alongside his father was not a “main focus” of being drawn to the Lakers.

“Rob has told me there’s a great development system here, so I just want to come in and put my work in and get better every day,” he said. “I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad, but that’s always there … but that wasn’t a main focus.”

He said the health scare last year, which restricted his appearances in college basketball, had made him determined to make a success of his NBA move.



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The time that I had off I feel like I could have been perfecting my game more,” he said. “Yeah, I just feel like I’ve been given an opportunity to showcase what I can really do, because I wasn’t given that much of an opportunity at USC.”

LeBron James intends to sign a new deal with Lakers

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FILE – Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James gestures for a call in the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Monday, April 29, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

LeBron James is going to move toward a new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul George and Klay Thompson may simply be on the move to new NBA teams.

And the NBA’s free agency period, which officially starts Sunday, suddenly has some intrigue.

James did not exercise his option to accept what would have been a $51.4 million contract for this coming season and instead is seeking a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, a person with knowledge of the decision said Saturday.

The terms of the new deal could be finalized quickly, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither James nor the Lakers revealed the decision publicly. ESPN, The Athletic and the Los Angeles Times all reported the decision earlier Saturday.

Meanwhile, George made a similar decision, the nine-time All-Star choosing to not opt-in for what would have been a $48.8 million contract this coming season with the Los Angeles Clippers — a team that he’s spent the past five years with, averaging 23 points per game. He’ll become a free agent and is planning to talk to the Clippers about a new deal and also intends to hear pitches from Orlando and Philadelphia, plus potentially others, a person briefed on George’s plans told AP on Saturday night.

READ: NBA: Lakers hope to lock down LeBron James for good next

Saturday’s moves came just ahead of the NBA’s free agency period, which formally opens at 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, though at least $1.2 billion in contracts already have been agreed upon because of new rules that allowed teams to speak with their own players about new deals — in many situations — starting on the day after the NBA Finals.

Among those already having agreed to deals that cannot be finalized until the new league year opens on July 6: Toronto teammates Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Indiana’s Pascal Siakam, and New York’s OG Anunoby.

It was expected that James would technically be a free agent. It’s also been expected that he would stay with the Lakers.

The Lakers selected Bronny James — LeBron James’ oldest son — on Thursday in the second round of the draft, putting them in position to have the first on-court father-son duo in NBA history. And with a new deal, it’s even possible that LeBron James could sign for a lower number than he could have commanded to give the Lakers additional financial flexibility for other moves.

“He is prioritizing a roster improvement,” James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, told ESPN on Saturday. “He’s been adamant about exuding all efforts to improve the roster.”

READ: Bronny James picked by Lakers in NBA draft

LeBron James is a four-time champion and is about $20 million shy of becoming the first player in league history to top $500 million in on-court earnings. Add in his many off-court ventures and investments, and his net worth has been presumed to be more than $1 billion for some time now.

He’ll turn 40 in December and will tie Vince Carter this season in terms of most seasons played in NBA history; the 2024-25 campaign will be James’ 22nd in the league. He averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists last season — as the oldest active player in the league.

And if he’s going to leave money on the table, he’s going to want a player who can help the Lakers contend for a title again. Among the Lakers’ potential targets: Golden State’s Klay Thompson, a free agent who could be on the move for the first time in his career.

Thompson, a starter on all four of the Warriors’ championship teams of this era and half of the famed “Splash Brothers” duo alongside 3-point king Stephen Curry, has spent all 13 of his NBA years with Golden State. And his status — will he go back to the Warriors or not? — is one of the biggest questions that’ll be answered in the coming days. It may not be financially possible for Golden State to retain Thompson.



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“We want him back. We’ve said that all along,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said on June 24. “Hopefully he’ll come back. But as far as the specifics and discussions and those types of things, I think it’s important to keep in-house and that stuff. When we figure out a solution to all that, we’ll have news for you.”

Bronny James to wear No. 9 jersey with Lakers

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Bronny James will be wearing the jersey No. 9 with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. –LAKERS

MANILA, Philippines—Things are getting clearer when it comes to Bronny James’ stint in the NBA playing for the Los Angeles Lakers with his father LeBron.

In his first season in the NBA, Bronny James will be donning the No. 9 as announced by the Lakers a day after he was picked in the second round of this year’s NBA Draft.

Bronny was selected 55th overall, a historic feat that made buzz all around the world.

READ: Bronny James, LeBron’s son, picked by Lakers in NBA Draft

Bronny’s selection signaled the first-ever father-and-son duo playing together in the NBA with league legend LeBron still under contract with the Lakers.

However, LeBron still hasn’t picked up his player option amounting to 51.4 million dollars for the 2024-25 season but Bronny’s selection may change that decision into a positive one for the Lakers.

“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,” team manager Rob Pelinka said.

“And NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform.”

READ: NBA: After drafting Bronny James, Lakers hope to lock down LeBron next

The last time the Lakers saw someone in action with the No. 9 was Sterling Brown two seasons ago. Before him was Rajon Rondo, the last No. 9 to wear the Laker kit and win a title at the same time.

Meanwhile, Dalton Knecht, the other Los Angeles rookie, will be wearing No. 4.



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Nick Van Exel, who used the jersey No. 9 in his time with the Lakers, approved of Bronny’s jersey number choice to which LeBron couldn’t help but react.

“That’s so TOUGH!! Nick the Quick was SO COLD!!!!!” LeBron posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Bronny James, LeBron’s son, taken by Lakers with 55th pick

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Southern California’s Bronny James brings the ball up the court during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Washington in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/File)

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 No. 55 overall pick, deep in the second round and with only three picks remaining in this year’s draft.

Adding further intrigue to the move: LeBron James can become a free agent next week, which means he could choose to leave the Lakers and sign elsewhere.

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.

But LeBron James’ incredible longevity — he’ll match Vince Carter for the longest career as an NBA player ever this coming season, which will be his 22nd in the league — makes the father-son duo possible.

“With the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select Bronny James from the University of Southern California,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said in announcing the pick, making the moment official for the 19-year-old, who was born just before the start of his father’s second NBA season.

Bronny James is a guard, one who was listed at 6-foot-4 on Southern California’s roster but measured at 6 feet, 1 1/2 inches 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.

He played one year of college basketball at USC and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season. 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.

A panel of doctors cleared Bronny James for NBA play last month.

Day 2 of the draft saw 24 other players get taken before Bronny James, though none of them — not even close, really — got the attention that the No. 55 selection received, for obvious reasons.

The 55th pick rarely turns out to be a player who captures a slew of attention. The best 55th pick in NBA history would be current Miami Heat guard Patty Mills, selected in 2009 and someone who has scored 7,893 points in his 15-season career.

Some other notable No. 55 picks include Marc Iavaroni, Mark Blount, Kenny Gattison and E’Twaun Moore. There’s never been a No. 55 pick that was an NBA All-Star, an All-NBA player, an All-Rookie team player or an All-Defensive team pick.



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Last season’s No. 55 pick, Isaiah Wong, scored exactly two points for Indiana as a rookie. Add up every No. 55 pick ever, and their NBA career scoring total is 28,364 points — more than 12,000 points less than LeBron James has scored in his career.

Bronny James not picked in NBA Draft Round 1, now Round 2 awaits

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Bronny James talks to media during the 2024 NBA basketball Draft Combine in Chicago, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

NEW YORK— Bronny James’ draft night has likely arrived.

The son of career scoring leader LeBron James was not selected in the first round Wednesday in the NBA draft, and now will wait to see if he’s picked in the second round when selections resume Thursday afternoon.

The pick that might be most logical for Bronny James: 55th overall, a selection that just happens to be held by the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that LeBron James — who is widely expected to become a free agent next week — has played for since 2018.

READ: Bronny James ‘grateful’ to have NBA dream in reach after health scare

The James family has been in New York this week, though it isn’t known if Bronny James will appear at the second round of the draft.

Bronny James played one year of college basketball at Southern California and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season. 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.

A panel of doctors cleared Bronny James for NBA play last month.

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Bronny — who was listed at 6-foot-4 on USC’s roster but measured at 6 feet, 1 1/2 inches at the combine — may be the most talked-about second-round prospect in draft history, because of the family name. His father, a four-time NBA champion, will be entering his 22nd NBA season this fall.

If Bronny James plays in the NBA next season, he and LeBron James would be the first father-son 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 none at the same time.



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