Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
Yesterday was possibly the most thrilling and integral round two of the NBA draft ever.
Typically, casual fans’ interest will fall off after the first ten picks or so, but this year, day two made history as the Los Angeles Lakers used their 55th pick on Bronny James.
Bronny is now poised to play alongside his father, LeBron James, after going expectedly undrafted in the first round. If the two actually hit the court together, it’ll be the first time a father-son duo has ever done so.
Bronny wasn’t present at the draft, which was located in Brooklyn, and instead opted to have a celebratory event with his family. His brother Bryce showed the festivities on social media, and the room erupts when the Lakers officially say his name as Bronny proudly puts on a Lakers cap.
Bronny took to his Instagram story with a picture of him wearing a Lakers jersey and a message that read, “Beyond blessed.”
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka is aware of the high-profile second-round pick and, like many sports pundits, released a statement praising the 19-year-old’s temperament and personality.
“Bronny is first and foremost a person of high character,” Pelinka said. “And second, he is a young man that works incredibly hard. And those are the qualities we look for in drafting players and adding to our developmental core with the Lakers.”
Pelinka added that despite his father’s fame, he has worked hard or this opportunity and is ready to go even harder.
“He had a great draft workout with us where he displayed those qualities to me in an hour lunch that we shared in the building just to get to know each other. It became clear that he was a man of character. In terms of his work ethic, I think we’ve all seen that lived out, too. He’s not a person that is ever taking short cuts or expected or been entitled about basketball opportunities,” Pelinka said.
Even if Bronny did get drafted simply because his dad is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, Bronny’s journey the past year has been an uphill battle.
Last July, Bronny was practicing at the USC Trojans’ campus when he collapsed on the court after suffering cardiac arrest. He was reportedly unconscious when he was he was rushed to a hospital, where he stayed for several days after undergoing surgery to repair a congenital heart defect. He eventually made his USC debut in December and eventually averaged nearly 5 points and two assists.
See how social media is reacting to the historic draft pick below.