Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James teaming up with his son Bronny in the NBA isn’t a priority anymore.
Woj on #NBAToday
– He spoke to Rich Paul, the idea of Bron & Bronny playing together is no longer a priority. They’re looking for the right developmental system for Bronny
– Bron is likely back w/ Lakers, it’s just a matter on the structure of deal. 2-3yr deal potentially
— Ralph Mason (@Ralph_MasonJr) April 30, 2024
Just under a year ago, in June of 2023, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the elder James “really, really” wanted to play alongside the younger James in the pros.
“He has gone back and forth on this,” said Windhorst on the topic of the elder James playing with his son. “… He really, really wants this to happen.”
The elder James’ 21st season in the NBA came to a close on Monday night. The Lakers were eliminated after dropping Game 5 of their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, who also sent Los Angeles home in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
But the 39-year-old nearly carried the Lakers to a road victory in the team’s final game of the season. In a matchup Los Angeles lost by just two points, the elder James finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists while shooting 11-of-21 from the field and 3-of-7 from deep in about 44 minutes of action.
The elder James led the Lakers in scoring while also accounting for more than 33 percent of the team’s total assists, considering Los Angeles dished out 30 in total.
Regarding the younger James, the start of the 2024 NBA Draft is just under two months away, and it will be interesting to see when he will be selected or if he will even get drafted at all.
The younger James is keeping his options open in terms of whether he will play in the NBA or NCAA next season, as he has simultaneously declared for the draft while also entering the transfer portal in college.
In 25 games played with the University of Southern California in the 2023-24 season, the 19-year-old averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals per contest on 36.6 percent shooting from the floor and 26.7 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Whether the younger James decides to play another season of college basketball or forgo the NCAA for the NBA, hopefully the decision he makes will put him on the right path for a productive and memorable career in the sport.
