NBA draft sets James and son up to be Lakers team-mates

LeBron James and son Bronny could become the first father and son to play together in the NBA after the latter was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 19-year-old guard, who played at University of Southern California, was the 55th overall selection, with the draft having been split across two days and the Lakers already having picked Dalton Knecht on Thursday.

LeBron James, 39, will be entering his 22nd NBA season, but has yet to confirm if he will opt into the final year of his Lakers contract, having been there since 2018.

If he does go on to take the court alongside Bronny – and he has often spoken of his desire to do so – they will make history together.

LeBron is the NBA’s all-time record point scorer, a four-time NBA winner and widely recognised as one of the greatest players of all-time.

“In the history of the NBA, there’s never been a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court and that feels like something that could be magical,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told reporters.

“We know, and have to respect of course, that LeBron has a decision on his opt-out … but if it worked out that he was on our team next season, NBA history could be made. And NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform.”

Bronny James, his father’s eldest son, underwent a procedure last year to correct a congenital heart defect, which was discovered after he went into cardiac arrest during a summer workout.

Last month, he was cleared by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel of three doctors who reviewed his medical records.

Writing on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself and a young Bronny in his first spell with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron simply wrote: “Legacy”.