Son of LeBron James, Bronny James was selected 55th in the 2024 draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Focus on the level of the young back (19 years old), who many consider to be too weak to play in the NBA.
A page of sports history was written this Thursday evening in the ESPN offices. In the relative intimacy of the studios of the American television channel, far from the pomp of the ceremony organized the day before at the Barclays Center in New York for the first round, Bronny James was selected in the 55th position of the draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, the team of his father LeBron James. For the very first time in the history of the NBA, a father and his son should therefore play at the same time in the biggest basketball league in the world.
>> All the information after the 2024 NBA draft
By being drafted in the second round, that is to say beyond 30th place, Bronny James does not benefit from a guaranteed contract. But the intentions of the Los Angeles Lakers are hardly in doubt. In recent years, LeBron James, who has not yet officially announced his decision for next year (he benefits from a clause to become a free agent this summer), has said on several occasions that he wants to play in the same jersey as the eldest of his children. Thus, for many, Bronny James only owes his place in the NBA to his father’s career, his draft by the Lakers being only a way for the Angelinos to convince LeBron James to stay next season.
Victim of a heart attack last July
For many, Bronny James would therefore just be a jackass. This observation, as severe as it may be, can be explained in particular by the very discreet 2023-2024 season of son James. At USC (University of Southern California), for his very first experience in the NCAA, at the highest level of the American university championship, he compiled 4.8 points (at 36% shooting), 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19 minutes per game. Far, far from the statistics of a dominant player.
At USC, where he played alongside Isaiah Collier, drafted 29th overall by Utah, Bronny James failed to raise his stock among recruiters. Before the draft, only the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns contacted him to try out.
His first year at the University, however, was marked by a serious incident that occurred last summer. On July 13, 2023, during a training session, he suffered a cardiac arrest which kept him away from the courts until December. In terms of adaptation, we have known better. “I’ve had a year with ups and downs, but all of this has helped me grow as a man, a student and an athlete,” the main person tried to say positively on Instagram last April, at the time of his registration for the draft. He received the green light from doctors to play in the NBA a few weeks later, in May.
A basketball player… too small?
Beyond these health concerns, Bronny James showed some limitations. Even if he has extremely serious athletic qualities – dogs don’t make cats – his small size (around 1.86m) can be problematic for existing in the NBA. In his position (back), players this small are few in number. Jalen Brunson or Kyrie Irving are the rare counterexamples of players of this size who manage to be dominant. Throughout the league, around fifteen players are less than 1.88m tall.
Given his size, he could potentially slide into the point guard position to get playing time in the NBA. In this case, he will have to develop his comfort with the ball in hand. When he carries the ball, he currently shows some limits under pressure. “If he has to play point guard, he will have to handle intense pressure while putting his team in an attacking position and simultaneously reading the defense,” points out ESPN.
“Closer to a player like Danny Green than LeBron James”
Despite these doubts, Bronny James is presented as a solid three-point shooter and a good defender. Strong points which earn him comparisons with De’Anthony Melton (Philadelphia Sixers) or Gary Harris (Orlando Magic), i.e. very different profiles from LeBron James. “There is a lot of misunderstanding because of the comparison with his father. Bronny is not the type of player who needs to have the ball in his hands. He is a combo-guard who excels at passing and catch-and-shoot. A description closer to a player like Danny Green than LeBron James”, summarized PD Web, recruitment specialist, in the columns of The Team in May 2023.
Work, basketball IQ and pressure resistance
From his father, however, he took athletic qualities, basketball IQ… and a certain form of resistance to pressure. “I was struck by his confidence and his ability to manage all this craziness that surrounds him. He is currently 1.80m tall with a solid build. He is a budding athlete who has the necessary talent for high level, at the position of leader or guard”, explained Éric Bossi, university recruitment specialist, on the Basketball Recruiting site in 2019. At the time, Bronny James was… 14 years old.
Being the son of one of the greatest players of all time forced Bronny James to face very high expectations. From adolescence, he had to get used to taking the spotlight. This was particularly the case in Nanterre, where, in August 2022, his arrival at the Palais des Sports Maurice-Thorez was a real event. Facing a selection of young French hopefuls, Bronny James impressed with his speed, his physical impact and his sense of showmanship. He also finished as the best scorer of the match (25 points), tied with a certain Bilal Coulibaly, drafted in seventh position 2023.
Next season, he could therefore cross paths with the Frenchman again, this time on North American courts. If his arrival in the NBA is perceived as a fraud by some, his new franchise believes very strongly in his potential. Lakers leaders are pleased to have got their hands on a hardworking and intelligent young man.
“Bronny is above all a person of great integrity,” underlined Rob Pelinka, the boss of the Californian franchise.
“He’s an incredibly hard-working young man. Those are the qualities we look for when we draft players. Coach JJ Redick and I were able to impress upon him that this moment was coming largely because of the work he had put in the game and the character of the young man he is.” Despite what some skeptics may say.
Felix Gabory Journalist RMC Sport
