LeBron James got his wish. Bronny James gets to realize his NBA dream.
Their agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, steered Bronny to the Los Angeles Lakers in an elaborate scheme which ESPN analyst Bob Myers revealed on the broadcast.
“Right now, Rich Paul is calling teams, (telling them) do not take (USC guard) Bronny James,” Myers earlier said on the ESPN broadcast of the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday, June 27, in New York. “He’s telling them, ‘Do not take him. If you take him, he’s going to Australia.’ He has a plan, and he has a place.”
“Rich Paul is calling teams, don’t take Bronny James … if you take him, he’s going to Australia.” 😳
Bob Myers on Bronny James’ draft status 👀
Myers’ assertion was later confirmed when the Lakers selected Bronny James as the 55th overall pick.
LeBron and Bronny James are set to become the first father and son to play in the same team in NBA history.
It’s all but certain that LeBron would return to the Lakers. He has a $51.4 million player option decision on Saturday.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers are willing to offer LeBron a three-year, $162 million max deal.
“L.A. is committed to re-signing James and would offer the maximum three-year deal for which James is eligible to take him through his 24th season in the league, sources told ESPN,” McMenamin wrote on June 24.
Bronny Wants to Step out of LeBron’s Shadow
Thursday’s selection of Bronny James was the culmination of months-long speculation. But the hard work begins now for the oldest son of LeBron.
“My dream has always just been to put my name out, make a name for myself, and get to the NBA, which is everyone’s end goal that’s here,” Bronny James told reporters at the Draft Combine in Chicago. “I never thought about just playing with my dad, but of course, he’s brought it up a couple of times. But yeah, I don’t think about it much.”
“When I get there, I don’t think it would be just like me and my dad. I would be happy about getting into the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad. That’s not my mindset right now at all. I’m just trying to put in the work and see where it takes me from there,” Bronny continued.
“I just want to … have people know my name is Bronny James and not be identified as just LeBron James’ son,” Bronny James said during last month’s NBA Draft Combine. “I would be happy about getting to the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad. But that’s not my mindset at all. I’m just trying to put in the work and see where it takes me.”
Going to the Lakers could make it hard for him to achieve that or maybe LeBron’s guidance would help him succeed in the NBA.
Bronny James Legitimizes Himself as NBA Prospect at Draft Combine
Bronny James was impressive at the NBA Draft Combine.
He logged in a 40.5-inch vertical and made 19-of-25 3-pointers, including hitting 12 in a row to close the drill while playing smart basketball in the scrimmages.
Bleacher Report’s draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman said it was a promising showing for the one-and-done freshman, who overcame a cardiac arrest last summer to continue playing basketball.
“While scouts don’t typically put heavy stock into shooting drills, it was still promising to see James restore some of the shotmaking credibility he brought to USC, considering he only hit 16-of-60 threes during his one season.
Aside from making dozens of jumpers, he showed poise and composure while more cameras and crowds shifted toward him compared to his peers. James’ professionalism is obvious and could certainly make it easier for teams to talk themselves into gambling on the high-profile 19-year-old,” Wasserman wrote on May 14 after Day 1 of the NBA Draft Combine.
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Rich Paul’s Elaborate Scheme Steers Bronny James to Lakers as Historic Pick