Well, it has happened. USC Trojans superstar and LeBron James’ eldest son, Bronny James, has finally declared for the 2024 NBA Draft.
Now standing at major crossroads in his career, Bronny has also kept his college eligibility open while the starlet has decided to take the pro count come summer. It seems Bronny’s decision-making was sped up because his college coach, Andy Enfield, is leaving USC for SMU.
Bronny James will enter the 2024 NBA Draft
LeBron James Jr. aka Bronny James has officially announced his entry into the NBA draft. This exciting news comes after his first year at the University of Southern California. Despite facing challenges due to a cardiac arrest and subsequent heart procedure, Bronny’s determination remains strong as he prepares for the 2024 NBA draft while keeping his college eligibility.
Bronny shared his decision on Instagram, expressing gratitude for his growth as a person, student, and athlete. He thanked USC for a memorable freshman year and acknowledged the support of his family, friends, medical team, and fans.
In Bronny’s original statement, he wrote, “I had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student and athlete. I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility and will also be entering the transfer portal.”
NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news on X, right after Bronny’s Instagram post, and it has since been the talk of the town.
After achieving McDonald’s All-American honors in high school, Bronny was expected to shine on the court. However, his health setback during his freshman year at USC affected his performance. As he looks ahead to the draft, he must first gain clearance from the NBA’s fitness panel, a crucial step before participating in pre-draft workouts and the draft combine in May.
Do the Lakers plan to draft Bronny James?
Given LeBron James is already 39 and might not be able to continue playing at the top level for long, it seems to be the right opportunity for the Lakers superstar to play alongside his son, that is and only, if the LA-based team drafts the youngster.
Keeping the context in mind, LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, shared insights on Bronny’s potential draft entry this year. He emphasized the importance of Bronny joining a team that will nurture his development, prioritizing that over high draft rankings. This situation is being closely watched and analyzed from every angle. In fact, the Lakers are rumored to be interested in drafting Bronny, but things are still in flux.
“LeBron wants Bronny to be his own man,” Paul said per Bleacher Report. “I don’t value a young player getting into the lottery as much as I do getting him on the right team in the right developmental situation.” However, he also mentioned that King James would be ‘head over heels excited if that were to happen organically.’
While fans are going crazy over the possibility of watching the LeBrons dominate in purple and gold come next season, must remain left to chance as the Lakers do not have a good many first round draft picks in the class of 2024.
In the comment section below, let us know what you think of Bronny James’s decision; we would love to hear about it.
