The Los Angeles Lakers’ move with their 55th overall NBA Draft pick was expected. LeBron James has long been vocal about his interest in playing with Bronny James.

So, they made sure to get him to one of the best basketball colleges. Unfortunately, it did not pan out with Andy Enfield and the USC basketball program. Nonetheless, both of those dreams came true when the draft bells rang and Mark A. Tatum made the official announcement.

Bronny James gives thanks
Bronny James has been selected 55th overall by the Lakers. He had two very simple words to describe the feeling of getting acquired through the NBA Draft.

Bronny James’ first post since getting drafted by the Lakers 🙏 (via bronny / IG)

Prior to the second day of the NBA Draft, Rich Paul reportedly outlined a very simple warning to squads that still had picks. It said that the younger James needed to be picked by either the Phoenix Suns or the Lakers. If not, the former USC basketball player is going to head to Australia and increase his stock there while waiting for a team in the association to pick him up. Front offices gladly obliged and it finally happened.

The Lakers will be the home of the first father-and-son duo in all of league history. It took the older James a little over 21 years in the league to reach this dream. He used to just speak about it, like his desire to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record or bring a championship to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, it has finally become a reality. There are still a lot of things that the Lakers have to do this offseason to get the younger James acclimated.

His performances prior to the NBA Draft have gotten better. In some games during the Combine, he shot the lights out and facilitated well. Not to mention, he was also hounding ballhandlers and taking a close look at open passing lanes for easy steals. It’s not a surprise that the Lakers got him but it is a welcome addition to the growing Purple and Gold family.

Before the Lakers picked LeBron James’ son in the NBA Draft
May 15, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Bronny James participates in the 2024 NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
The USC basketball program was not at all in its best form when the younger James entered their system. They already had Isaiah Collier and Boogie Ellis as primary playmakers. So, all that was left was to be a three-and-d type of guy and he accepted that role with glee.

Eventually, cracks in his playstyle started to show. Some were claiming that it was just because of his recent condition while others were ready to boot him out of the USC basketball squad. His production along with his NBA Draft stock suffered a lot. In 25 games of action, he only averaged 4.8 points on a horrid 36.6% clip from all three levels of the field. Moreover, his outside shot was just not finding the bottom of the net. Those only went down 26.7% of the time as he attempted 2.4 of them a night.

There is a lot that the Lakers coaching staff needs to do such that he reaches his own potential. Now, they can just rejoice that LeBron James is kept happy due to his son now becoming his teammate.