LeBron and Bronny James become the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA
LeBron and Bronny James made history today as the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA when the pair hit the hardwood in a preseason matchup against the Phoenix Suns.
After much speculation, the Los Angeles Lakers drafted the 19-year-old son of the current all-time scoring leader with the 55th pick after one season at the University of Southern California. Bronny spent four years at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth before graduating in 2023.
"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 said after Bronny's selection.
Last year, Team USA also picked Bronny to play at the Nike Hoop Summit, according to his USC profile. In his only season at USC, Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 steals.
He was forced to miss the Trojan's first eight games after suffering a heart attack during a practice session in July last year. After the draft, he said he hopes to show what he's capable of now that he's on an NBA team.
"The time I had off (at USC), I feel like I could've been perfecting my game more," Bronny said. "I feel like I've been given an opportunity to showcase what I can really do."
In a May 2023 interview with ESPN, LeBron said he could not wait to step on the hardwood with Bronny.
"I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny," he said.
In the past, Bronny has said he's looking to forge his own path. On Tuesday, he repeated that sentiment, saying that playing alongside his famous dad hasn't been a particular goal of his.
"I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day," Bronny said. "I never had a thought about me going to play with my dad."