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Bronny James will wear jersey No. 9 with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his dad, LeBron James, had “no words” after seeing his son suited up.
The Lakers released the official photos and jersey numbers of James and their first-round pick, Dalton Knecht, on Friday, June 28. Knecht will wear No. 4, generating the clever nickname “Knecht Four.”
But LeBron focused more on his son, who chose No. 9. It’s a change from the No. 6 Bronny James wore at USC, which his dad has worn at various points during his illustrious 21-year career.
LeBron reacted on social media, posting it to Instagram with the caption “NO WORDS!!” and a king emoji.
The Lakers selected Bronny James with pick No. 55 overall in the second round. They are the NBA’s first father-son duo. LeBron has talked about wanting to close out his career playing with his son. Now, it’s a reality.
“I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny,” James told ESPN in 2023. “Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him. … I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing. That would be ideal for sure.”
Bronny James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game in his only college season at USC.
Lakers Star Anthony Davis Pleased With Bronny James Pick
LeBron James’ Los Angeles co-star Anthony Davis was a fan of the team picking up Bronny. Davis can see the younger James evolving into a solid player.
“He’s very good defensively,” Davis told ESPN. “He can read the floor very well. I think he’s a really good playmaker. I saw him work out a couple times besides the [Klutch Sports] pro day and working with a big — his reads, reading the defense, making the right passes — that was really impressive to me. He’s going to be fine, man. Obviously it’s a lot of pressure on him with his dad being who he is.
“But one thing about Bronny, from what I’ve seen and what I heard, he wants to create his own path and he doesn’t want to be — even though he’s LeBron James’ son, he don’t want be seen as that. And I think having that mindset and trying to create his own path is going to work out for him. … Who knows, he might come in and be ready to play for us.”
Other stars around the league, including Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green, also commented on Bronny’s being picked by the Lakers.
“I am just gonna take the bet that this kid works hard, which he does. He has LeBron James DNA and I am gonna take the bet on that…and then you watch him play, he is a good basketball player,” Green said on his podcast. “I’m goin to take that bet because you got him at 55, so he even becomes a rotation player, you did great and I think he could possibly become a rotational player in the next two years.”
LeBron James Facing Decision on Future With Lakers
The father-son duo playing together isn’t completely locked in just yet. LeBron James is weighing a $51.4 million player option. He’s expected to opt-out, although that doesn’t mean he’s leaving LA.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers are willing to offer James the maximum three-year, $162 million deal. That would likely keep James in LA for the rest of his career. James hasn’t given much insight on his decision outside of a message shortly after the Lakers were bounced from the postseason.
“I’ve seen, heard a lot of reports about my future. I said it last night and I’ll say it again. I do not know yet as I’m only thinking about spending time with my family & friends!” James wrote on April 30. “When I know after speaking with the fam, my counsel as well as my representation about it then you guys will know. Until then [quiet].”
James will likely return to the Lakers now that his son is part of the organization. Additionally, the team hired JJ Redick as their head coach. Redick and James previously hosted a podcast together and have a preexisting relationship.
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