It had never happened in the NBA. Until today.
As widely speculated, Bronny James was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers at number 55 on Thursday evening in the 2024 NBA Draft. He will of course join his father LeBron in LA as the two become the first father-son duo in NBA history to play together.
The elder James, who turns 40 at the end of December, will enter his 22nd NBA season this upcoming October. He averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game last season.
Bronny, who turns 20 on Oct. 6, spent just one season at the University of Southern California after a scary situation last July when he went into cardiac arrest at a team practice. He was hospitalized for three days and was cleared to return on Nov. 23. He played 25 games for the Trojans and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. He started six games.
James Jr. is undersized at 6 foot, 1 inch but is thought of by scouts as someone who can defend at a high level. He was compared to guard Davion Mitchell, who was traded Thursday from the Sacramento Kings to the Toronto Raptors. Mitchell, 25, is nicknamed “off night”, as in opponents have an “off night” when playing against him. He himself is undersized at 6 foot, 202 pounds. At 6’1, James Jr. is caught in between both guard positions. Bronny’s standing vertical was measured at 32 inches, with a maximum vertical of 40.5 inches.
Agent Rich Paul has indicated that Bronny will not sign a two-way contract with the Lakers’ G-League affiliate South Bay Lakers. Even if that remains the case, there would not be a better NBA education than playing with your father who just happens to be one of the greatest basketball players of all-time.
James and James Jr. are the first father-son duo to play together on the same team regardless of sport since Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr., who played together on the Seattle Mariners from 1990-1991. In hockey, Gordie Howe played with sons Mark and Marty in the WHA.
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Former Duke power forward Kyle Filipowski was taken 32nd overall by the Utah Jazz. He is a good athlete who can handle the ball for a 7-footer and shoot the ball. The Sacramento Kings drafted University of Houston guard Jamal Shead who will go to the Raptors as part of the Mitchell deal. Shead is an undersized guard but is competitive and plays defense.
The final two choices of the second round were international players. 6 foot, 10 inch, 232-pound Ulrich Chomche was taken by the Memphis Grizzlies but was traded to the Raptors. German center Ariel Hukporti was drafted 60th by the Dallas Mavericks.
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