Bronny James was selected with the No. 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, joining his father LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers.
With that being said, there is much skepticism surrounding the draft pick, considering that there was probably nepotism involved. Although this may be true, GM Rob Pelinka and newly-hired head coach JJ Redick both jumped on a call with Bronny explaining why they want him, aside from the fact of him being his dad's son.
"You've worked incredibly hard, man. You've put in a ton of work... You're a player of high character and a person of high character," Pelinka said to Bronny.
Then JJ Reddick jumped in and gave some words to the second-round draftee.
"Your hard work's paid off. You're going to have a long NBA career, and I can't wait to coach you," Redick said.
Behind the call for pick No. 55 📞 pic.twitter.com/Dcn1nnwLlU
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 28, 2024
"We'll see you soon, Bronny. The work begins," Pelinka said before hanging up.
All in all, this was no surprise as Bronny, as well as everyone and their mother knew that he was going to be picked by the Lakers. Especially after his agent Rich Paul threatened the whole league that if any other teams drafted him, he would go and play in the Australian NBL league.
In view of how much playing time Bronny will receive during his rookie year, it's still up in the air at this point. Ultimately, fans will get their first look at LeBron's son, when he showcases his talent at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, July 12-24.
