Bronny James has hit a road bump on his journey to join the NBA.
LeBron James’ eldest child, 19, went unselected on the first night of the 2024 NBA draft on Wednesday, June 26. Though he was not among the 30 athletes picked by some of basketball’s biggest teams, he has another chance of joining the league on the second night of the draft on Thursday, June 27.
One of the teams that passed over Bronny on night one was his father’s team, The Los Angeles Lakers, instead picking the University of Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht. The Lakers and the Phoenix Suns were reportedly the only two teams Bronny participated in practices with ahead of the draft despite having opportunities to meet with other teams.
Bronny’s agent, Rich Paul, previously opened up about the decision to engage with a limited number of teams, telling ESPN earlier this month, “This is nothing new.” He explained: “The goal is to find a team that values your guy and try to push him to get there. It’s important to understand the context and realize that this has always been the strategy with many of my clients throughout the years, especially those in need of development like Bronny. My stuff is by design.”
Paul, 42, went on to add: “I got the word out early to teams that if you plan on bringing Bronny in, here’s what you need to know: If you won’t give him a real deal, there’s nothing to talk about. It’s hard to get real development on a two-way deal.”
Bronny declared for this year’s NBA draft back in April, just months after making his college basketball debut for the University of Southern California. “I’ve had a year with some ups and downs but [it] all added to growth for me as a man, student and athlete,” he announced via Instagram. “I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal.”
Bronny’s career moves come nearly one year after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a USC basketball practice. He was rushed to the hospital and was released less than a week later in stable condition. He was cleared to return to basketball in November 2023 and played in his first USC game the following month.
The James family later revealed that doctors determined the cause of Bronny’s cardiac arrest as “an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated.” (LeBron, 39, shares Bronny, son Bryce, 17, and daughter Zhuri, 9, with his wife, Savannah James.)
LeBron gushed about his two sons in a sweet Instagram post ahead of Wednesday’s draft, writing, “Not a feeling in the fkn world better than being around raising my boys to MEN! Pops over here getting emotional as hell just thinking about yall journey so far!”
He added: “Thank you both for allowing me to be your DAD and be apart [sic] of your compass through life’s trials and tribulations! 🫡🤎🤴🏾🤴🏾.”
