Bronny James talks to media during the 2024 NBA basketball Draft Combine in Chicago, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
NEW YORK— Bronny James’ draft night has likely arrived.
The son of career scoring leader LeBron James was not selected in the first round Wednesday in the NBA draft, and now will wait to see if he’s picked in the second round when selections resume Thursday afternoon.
The pick that might be most logical for Bronny James: 55th overall, a selection that just happens to be held by the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that LeBron James — who is widely expected to become a free agent next week — has played for since 2018.
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The James family has been in New York this week, though it isn’t known if Bronny James will appear at the second round of the draft.
Bronny James played one year of college basketball at Southern California and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season. He played in 25 games, missing the start of the season after needing a procedure last year to fix what was diagnosed as a congenital heart defect, which was found after he went into cardiac arrest during a summer workout.
A panel of doctors cleared Bronny James for NBA play last month.
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Bronny — who was listed at 6-foot-4 on USC’s roster but measured at 6 feet, 1 1/2 inches at the combine — may be the most talked-about second-round prospect in draft history, because of the family name. His father, a four-time NBA champion, will be entering his 22nd NBA season this fall.
If Bronny James plays in the NBA next season, he and LeBron James would be the first father-son duo in the league simultaneously as players. There have been about 100 instances in NBA history of players joining the league after their fathers played, but none at the same time.