Bronny James, the No. 55 pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, was taking questions at his Los Angeles Lakers' introductory press conference Tuesday.
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"Everything just has been surreal ... I'm extremely grateful for everything"
Bronny James on joining the Lakers pic.twitter.com/HYCsPXtRsY
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 2, 2024
GM Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick both gave high praise to LeBron James' son, and attempted to silence the doubters who believe nepotism was the only reason why Bronny is on an NBA roster.
"Bronny has earned this through hard work... There's a lot to like about his game"
Head Coach JJ Redick on Bronny pic.twitter.com/gErxwOWWvi
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 2, 2024
"With Bronny, I wanted to clarify one thing," Redick stated. "Rob and I did not give Bronny anything. Bronny has earned this, Bronny has earned this through hard work."
"And for us prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as like case study 1, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point of attack defender, shooting, passing, there is a lot to like about his game. And as we sort of build out our player development program holistically, he is going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player."
As James Jr. now finds himself being teammates with his father, he spoke about what advice the 21-season veteran gave him for the upcoming season.
"Just having that work ethic... listening to your coaches and being coachable."
Bronny James on conversations he's had with LeBron as he starts his NBA journey 🌟 pic.twitter.com/L8rDO82ERY
— NBA (@NBA) July 2, 2024
LeBron, the NBA's all-time NBA leading scorer, has stated before that his dream has always been to team up with his first child. Now at 39 years old, his 19-year-old son and him will be taking the court together, as the first ever father-son duo in the NBA.
LeBron and his new teammate Bronny pic.twitter.com/RwKF7NtVul
— Hoops © (@HoopMixOnly) July 2, 2024
Bronny will be wearing the #9 jersey this upcoming season, while his rookie teammate Dalton Knecht will be sporting #4, which seemingly will give the Tennessee standout one of the best nicknames, correlating his name pronunciation/jersey number with the board game (Connect 4).
Dalton Knecht and Bronny James with their jerseys 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Xft8QHCAMj
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) July 2, 2024
Bronny James and Dalton Knecht will both participate in the California Classic and the Las Vegas Summer League, according to JJ Redick
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 2, 2024
The next step for Bronny will be to showcase his talent at the NBA Summer League (July 12-22), as he hopes to solidify himself in a role on the roster.
“Proving myself to the doubters”
Bronny on his Summer League goals (via @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/vq59dk0sc0
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 2, 2024
With that being said, there is not much doubt about Bronny being able to keep his spot on the team, being that his dad is the leader. On that note, as reported earlier by Shams Charania of the Athletic, the Lakers are expected to give Bronny a guaranteed, multiyear deal.
Bronny James plans to sign a multiyear guaranteed rookie contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft starts his NBA career on the Lakers roster. pic.twitter.com/dRTgWxbGuO
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2024
Related: Bronny James Most Bet Player To Win 2024 NBA Rookie Of The Year
