LeBron James’ wishes led the Warriors to pass on Bronny, allowing the Lakers to draft him and make NBA history.
Bronny and LeBron James could share the court soon
LeBron James got his wish when his eldest son Bronny James was drafted by the Lakers, but that wouldn’t have happened, had the Golden State Warriors not reportedly passed on selecting him. This revelation came in report by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, as she said the Warriors admired Bronny’s skills but chose not to pick him out of ‘respect’ for the wishes of his father.
Eventually, history was made as Bronny James got selected by the Lakers with the 55th pick in the second round. That move set the stage for him and LeBron James to potentially become the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history.
The Warriors liked Bronny’s skill set and had him on their draft board… Selecting him ahead of the Lakers, who held the 55th pick, would’ve been a shrewd move, perhaps even to entice James to sign there as a free agent… the Warriors opted to respect the wishes James had made clear and the Lakers signaled they would grant.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne wrote
The Warriors “liked Bronny’s skill set” but decided against taking him at No. 52 overall to “respect the wishes” of LeBron, per @ramonashelburne pic.twitter.com/cb9wAurVbE
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 4, 2024
Bronny’s career till date has witnessed him come back from moments of challenges, from suffering a cardiac arrest to undergoing a heart procedure. His return wasn’t smooth, as he struggled to regain his rhythm but still chose to enter the NBA Draft, ultimately being selected as the second pick.
While the Lakers were the favorites to pick him, other teams were in the mix, including the Warriors. However, it was also revealed that Bronny’s agent, Rich Paul, reportedly told teams that Bronny would play overseas in Australia if drafted by anyone other than the Lakers.
Coach JJ Redick opens up on seeing LeBron and Bronny practicing
As the NBA gets ready to kick off in the coming weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers opened their training camp with fans thrilled to see LeBron and Bronny James working together as teammates for the first time. Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke to the media where he described the experience of seeing the father-son duo on the court together.
I mean, you get to coach your own kids when they’re little. But he’s in the freaking NBA, shooting right over here on this basket with his son… They were doing 2-on-2 pick-and-roll drills to start practice against the coaches. One of them’s guarding the ball. One of them’s guarding the screener. It’s surreal.
JJ Redick to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne
As revealed by Jovan Buha, the Lakers’ training camp this year is on a different kind of vibe, especially with what happened during the second day of practice. Bronny reportedly got the better of LeBron, according to teammate Anthony Davis.
However, Bronny’s role with the Lakers is still being evaluated, but Redick hinted that fans can expect to see the father-son pair playing together in the same game soon. Despite this, there is excitement from fans as they could share the same court as early as Friday in the Lakers’ preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
