Bronny James Selected by Lakers at No. 55

Bronny James was chosen in the second round of the NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, potentially setting the stage for him to play alongside his renowned father, LeBron James.

At 19 years old, Bronny was the 55th overall pick in the draft held in New York on Thursday. His selection followed weeks of speculation about his future team.

LeBron James, a four-time NBA champion, is likely approaching the final year of his career. He could become a free agent this summer by opting out of his $51.4 million (£40.6 million) player option when the window opens at the end of June. However, this scenario seems unlikely, as LeBron stated after the 2022 All-Star game that his “last year will be played with my son.”

No father-son duo has ever played together in the NBA.

Bronny recently completed his first year of college basketball with the University of Southern California Trojans, where he averaged 4.8 points and 2.1 assists per game. Unlike his father, who is 6ft 9in and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Bronny stands at 6ft 1in and is known more for his defensive play.

As the son of a four-time MVP, Bronny attracts considerable attention. He has 7.7 million Instagram followers, and his journey has been closely followed by pundits for years.

Despite this, his path has faced challenges. Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest during training last July and was only cleared to return to basketball last November after being diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.

Bronny is not expected to play a significant role for the Lakers in his rookie season, but the potential for him to share the court with his father is likely to draw substantial interest.