Bronny and LeBron James' journey from heartwarming childhood pictures to being NBA teammates
LeBron James' oldest son, Bronny, is now his NBA teammate with the pair becoming the first father-son duo in the history of the league after the Los Angeles Lakers' 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft
Bronny James is a Los Angeles Lakers player. It means he joins dad LeBron to form the first father-son duo in NBA history.
It marks an incredible journey for the James family. Ever since Bronny was born in October 2004, when his dad was 19 and mom Savannah was 18, he has been surrounded by basketball.
He was regularly pictured sharing big moments in LeBron's career with him, as well as younger brother Bryce and little sister Zhuri. Likewise, LeBron has been his son's biggest fan, regularly sitting courtside to watch his games in both high school and college as well as regularly searching for updates as soon as his own NBA games have finished when their schedules have clashed.
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Now, the pair will get to play with one another in Los Angeles, marking an incredible chapter in their journey. It comes less than a year after Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest in a practice at USC which almost cost him his life and threw his basketball career into doubt.
Bronny spent just one season with the Trojans before making the surprising decision to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft. He had to wait until Day 2 to hear his name called, being overlooking in the first round before the Lakers called his name with the 55th overall pick to make his and his dad's dreams a reality.
LeBron has always said he wanted to keep playing until Bronny could join him in the NBA. According to ESPN, he got "very emotional" when he received a call from the Lakers confirming they would be selecting Bronny as the family and some close friends had dinner near the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the draft was taking place.
1 of 13 Born winner
LeBron carried Bronny on the court after winning Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons in June 2007. Bronny was just three years old at the time as he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrating their win.
(Image:Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)2 of 13 Can't guard Dad
Bronny, Bryce and LeBron all played around on the court during the NBA All-Star celebrity game at Dallas Conventien Center in February 2012 as Bronny, then aged six, got to mix with the stars
(Image:Jason Merritt/Getty Images)3 of 13 Growing up with Team USA
Bronny and Bryce joined dad LeBron at a Team USA practice session in 2015 as the team prepared for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
(Image:Ethan Miller/Getty Images)4 of 13 Championship moments
Bronny and Bryce were both able to celebrate with their dad after the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. Bronny was 11-years-old as he saw his dad win his third championship.
(Image:Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)5 of 13 Life in the spotlight
LeBron had his kids including Bronny (left) with him at his press conference after the 2016 NBA Finals as he won his third ring.
(Image:Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)6 of 13 The King at his prime
Bronny (left) was pictured with his dad and other siblings when LeBron won the All-Star Game MVP at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.
(Image:Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)7 of 13 Making his own impact
LeBron was pictured watching Bronny (left) and his teammates in a youth tournament in Charlotte back in July 2017 as his son took his first steps towards on-court stardom
(Image:Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)8 of 13 Mentorship from LeBron
Bronny James (left) sat with his dad LeBron and younger brother Bryce watching a game at Bishop Gorman High School in 2018
(Image:Cassy Athena/Getty Images)9 of 13 Dunking on 'em
Bronny, pictured dunking for Sierra Canyons in their 2019 season opener in December, soon started to catch the eye on the court with his family supporting him.
(Image:Allison Zaucha for The Washington Post via Getty Images)10 of 13 Front row seats
LeBron James has been on hand giving advice and support from the sidelines throughout Bronny's career, including when watching him play high school football for Sierra Canyon
(Image:Harry How/Getty Images)11 of 13 LeBron's moment of history
Bronny has been on hand to see all the biggest moments of LeBron's career. He shared a memorable family moment with his dad when he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer against the Oklahoma City Thunder in February 2023.
(Image:Harry How/Getty Images)12 of 13 High school recongition
Bronny James played for the West team in the 2023 McDonald's High School Boys All-American Game in March 2023 after emerging as a top prospect before heading to college. He was pictured talking to dad LeBron at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
(Image:Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)13 of 13 Trojans Fight On!
When Bronny headed to USC and recovered from his cardiac arrest, dad LeBron was there watching his games from the sidelines when his schedule allowed. Bronny played in 25 games and averaged 4.8 points per game before surprisingly declaring for the NBA Draft.
(Image:Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)