Lakers' LeBron James Discusses Bronny's 2024 NBA Draft Decision: He's 'His Own Man'
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James said Friday night that his son, Bronny James, is in full control of his decision to either enter the 2024 NBA draft or stay in school for another year.
Speaking to reporters after the Lakers' 123-120 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies, LeBron made it clear that he doesn't intend to influence Bronny's choice:
"Bronny's his own man. He's going to make his own decision and as a family, we are going to support any decision he decides to make. Doesn't matter which way he goes. So, we look forward to his journey and whatever he decides to do with it, we're gonna be there for support."
After playing one season at USC, Bronny announced his entry into the 2024 NBA draft last week, but he also entered the NCAA transfer portal and reserves the right to withdraw from the draft so he can return to the collegiate ranks.
In recent years, LeBron has often talked about his desire to play on the same team as Bronny in the NBA, and things seemed to be lining up nicely for quite a while.
Bronny starred at Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles and was rated a 4-star recruit, plus the No. 28 overall player in his recruiting class by 247Sports.
There were expectations for Bronny to make an instant impact at USC and perhaps establish himself as a surefire first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft, but that didn't happen.
During the summer, Bronny went into cardiac arrest while working out and had to undergo a heart procedure. That put him behind scheduled and caused him to miss the first eight games of USC's 2023-24 season.
Once Bronny was cleared to return, he was clearly on a minutes count of sorts, as he averaged just 19.4 minutes played per game in 25 contests.
Bronny also never quite found his rhythm or established himself as a key player, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting just 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from beyond the arc.
The Trojans struggled as a whole, going just 15-18, and head coach Andy Enfield departed at the end of the season to join SMU.
Bronny now has no shortage of options at his disposal, as he could stay in the draft, or he could return to college to continuing playing at USC or elsewhere.
While Bronny is a quality playmaker and defender, teams may be unwilling to take a chance on drafting him after his struggles last season.
Even if Bronny does get drafted, it likely won't be until the second round, and he won't be a lock to make the active roster as a rookie.
Teams may be more open to gambling on Bronny if it means luring LeBron to the organization as well, but it is unclear if LeBron would be willing to leave the Lakers just so he can play with Bronny.
If Bronny wants to maximize his chances to getting drafted and sticking with a team, he may be best off returning to college for another year and proving that his 2023-24 performance was an aberration.
