The James family is making history. Bronny James, the oldest son of NBA legend LeBron James, has been drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers at 19 years old and the dad of two clearly couldn’t be more proud.
Bronny, who had been enrolled as a student at the University of Southern California and played as a guard on the university’s basketball team, was picked by the Lakers during the second round of the NBA draft on Thursday, ESPN reports. Shortly after the news, LeBron hopped on Instagram to gush about his son’s accomplishment.
“LEGACY!!!!!! 🤴🏾🤴🏾” the 39-year-old basketball pro wrote on Instagram, alongside several photos of him and Bronny, including a shot of the two of them in Lakers jerseys. LeBron, who shares Bronny and 17-year-old son Bryce with wife Savannah, has played for the Los Angeles Lakers since 2018; previously he had been on the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat.
Now, the two are making history. “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,” Rob Pelinka, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, said in a statement. “We know, and have to respect of course, that 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. And NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform.”
The James family were reportedly all together at a dinner party when they got the news about Bronny and LeBron was “very emotional,” sources told ESPN.
While LeBron posted a photo of him and Bronny in Lakers jerseys on Thursday, there is the possibility that he doesn’t play for them this season. Next week, LeBron can become a free agent and could decide to leave the Lakers and sign with another team.
Whatever happens, there’s no denying how emotional and special this news is for the family. Last summer, Bronny, whose full name is LeBron James Jr., went into cardiac arrest when he collapsed during a preseason workout with the USC Trojans, an event his family said was caused by a congenital heart defect, per the Associated Press. By November, he was cleared by doctors to play basketball again and returned to the court for a December game. His dad, of course, was cheering him on from the sidelines.
“Can’t even tell y’all how EMOTIONAL today was for me!” he wrote on Instagram after the December game. “I’m literally drained and all I can say is @bronny you’re simply INCREDIBLE!! Damn the wins and loses that will occur. You’ve already won the ultimate goal/championship and that’s LIFE!!! Proud of you kid and today you’ve given me more life! Thank you and I love you.”
Now Bronny is ready for the next chapter of his basketball career and already has his #1 fan.
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