Lakers draft Bronny James: What it means for him, team and LeBron's future

There's another James — officially — in the NBA.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James, the son of icon and all-time leading scorer LeBron James, with the No. 55 overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday. This ends months of speculation about where Bronny would land, and it also may help settle uncertainty about where his father will be playing.

Though he had cooled in his public comments about this recently, LeBron James has said repeatedly that he would be interested in playing in the NBA with his son. Now, that looks like it will be the reality.

Here's everything you need to know about Bronny James joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

Who is Bronny James?

Bronny James is the 19-year-old son of LeBron James, the 20-time All-Star and the NBA's all-time career leader in scoring. Bronny has been in the public eye his entire life, as LeBron has often shared moments on the court with his family — there are numerous photos of LeBron sharing moments on the court with Bronny when Bronny was a child.

Bronny has followed in his father's footsteps, choosing to play basketball from a young age, before eventually playing high school basketball at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California. Sierra Canyon won the Mission League title in three of the four seasons Bronny was on the team.

Bronny was a 2022-23 McDonald’s High School All-American as well as a 2023 Nike Hoop Summit selection. He was ranked the No. 20 overall high school prospect in the Class of 2023 by ESPN, before he went to play for the USC Trojans.

On July 24, 2023, Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during a workout on the USC campus and was hospitalized to undergo treatment. He was found to have a congenital heart defect but was later cleared to return to full basketball activities in late November. In May of this year, Bronny was cleared by the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel, marking a final step toward his eligibility in the 2024 NBA draft.

What were Bronny James' stats at USC?

In 25 games for the USC Trojans, Bronny averaged 19.3 minutes, 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. James missed the first eight games of the season as he recovered from a medical procedure to treat the congenital heart defect.

When will Bronny James play for the Lakers?

The Lakers are one of six teams that will participate in the 2024 California Classic Summer League, which is before the Las Vegas Summer League. That means that Bronny James, theoretically, could make his debut then.

The Lakers open the California Classic July 6 in a game against the Sacramento Kings, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Los Angeles also plays July 7 (at 6:30 p.m. ET against the Golden State Warriors) and July 10 (at 7:00 p.m. ET against the Miami Heat).

The Lakers will then play in the Las Vegas Summer League, which will take place from July 12-22.

How does Bronny James being on Lakers affect LeBron James' future with team?

LeBron James has the ability to opt out of his contract, but he must inform the Lakers by Sunday — the start of NBA free agency — if he intends to do so. Even if LeBron does opt out, however, he could choose to negotiate solely with the Lakers. Now that Bronny is on the team, and given that LeBron has spoken so eagerly about having the opportunity to play in the NBA with his son, all signs point to LeBron returning for his seventh season in Los Angeles, and his 22nd overall in the NBA.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bronny James to Lakers in NBA draft: What it means for him, LeBron