Bronny James is set to make his NBA debut this season after being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers as the 55th pick. He and his father, LeBron James, will become the first father-son duo to ever play together in the league. However, that dream was nearly derailed earlier this year by the Golden State Warriors, who reportedly had a chance to draft Bronny but ultimately chose to respect LeBron’s wishes.
The Warriors’ interest of Bronny was genuine, and even had the chance to draft him as they had the 52nd pick. However, as many sources reported, the team decided not to move forward, choosing center Quinten Post, and respecting the wishes of LeBron to play with his son.
Ramona Shelburne, the main source of this information, wrote on ESPN: “(JJ) Redick was in the room when the Lakers made history and a dream into reality. He stood next to (Rob) Pelinka as the Golden State Warriors, who had tried to trade for (LeBron) James last season, weighed whether to take Bronny at No. 52. The Warriors liked Bronny’s skill set and had him on their draft board, sources said.
“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,” she added. “But ultimately, sources said, the Warriors opted to respect the wishes James had made clear and the Lakers signaled they would grant,” Shelburne stated.
Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers defends against Daishen Nix #1 and Jesse Edwards #14 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of a game at Acrisure Arena on October 04, 2024 in Palm Springs, California.
We might have missed the chance to see a James -Bronny, not LeBron- play alongside Stephen Curry in the Golden State. However, Bron, who has made clear his desire to support his son on his path to the NBA before even being drafted, will have the chance to make history, sharing the same locker room than Bronny.
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Bronny had his preseason debut vs Timberwolves
Bronny James made his preseason debut in the Lakers’ 107-124 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, finishing with 2 points, one rebound, and one assist. He shot 1-of-6 from the field, missed his only three-point attempt, and failed to convert his first five shots of the game.
While the stat line might not be that exciting, Bronny made his presence felt on defense, recording three blocks. This is a decent stat taking into account that the the only guard to block more shots in a preseason debut was Dwyane Wade, who had four in 2003.
No LeBron-Bronny action yet
In addition to Bronny’s debut, Coach JJ Redick opted to test new players, leaving Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the bench for their first preseason game.
On Saturday’s Lakers’ practice, LeBron James said he plans on playing tomorrow against Phoenix, according to NBA insider Jovan Buta. With LeBron eager to return to the court, we could witness the highly anticipated moment of father and son sharing the floor for the first time.
