What’s next for Bronny James: New Lakers star was overcome with emotion after being drafted… but will he actually play alongside dad LeBron – and how did he end up in LA?

History was made after the son of basketball superstar LeBron James was eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA Draft on Thursday night.

After one season at the University of South Carolina, Bronny James was selected 55th overall by the Lakers, becoming the first father-son teammates in NBA history.

James has been on the record for years about how much he would like the opportunity to play with his son in the NBA before he retires. His wish came true.

The name James carries a lot of weight in the NBA. LeBron is a four-time NBA champion, four-time MVP and 20-time All-Star, just to name a few of his extensive accolades.

Of course, we’ve all heard of Bronny James. His name has been plastered all over mock draft boards and discussed on talk shows since he committed to USC. But how did he get here?

In 25 games with the Trojans, Bronny averaged just 4.8 points per game, primarily as a rotation piece off the bench. For over 19.3 minutes per game, he shot the ball inefficiently, posting the worst three-point shooting percentage of any player on the team.

His highest point came in a conference game against Oregon State, in which he scored 15 points, three assists and one rebound. Still, he struggled to establish himself as a solid option for the team.

His college career was almost over before it started. Before his first and only season at USC, Bronny went into cardiac arrest and his career was in jeopardy. It was said he would never play again, and when he returned he spoke openly about how it affected his playing.

The Trojans failed to secure a March Madness bid after finishing a disappointing 15-18 despite entering the season with the 20th best championship odds — but that’s hardly Bronny’s fault.

After he declared for the draft, rumors circulated around the league about the possibility of him going as high as the first round, with teams excited at the prospect of taking him and securing his father in the same move.

However, on draft night it was reported that the family’s agent, Rich Paul, had called all but two of the teams in the league to tell them that if they took Bronny, he would leave the US to go professional in Australia to play. The two exempt teams were the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, who were widely mentioned as James’ targets this offseason.

It will be nearly impossible to follow in the footsteps of his father, who is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time.

Would Bronny have been drafted without his father or his father’s name? Probably not, but the prospect was always too tempting to pass up.

Many have accused the Lakers and LeBron of nepotism. NBA fans have claimed for years that James is the de facto GM. Just last week, his podcast cohost and former NBA player, JJ Reddick, was announced as the Lakers’ newest head coach.

Still, ESPN NBA media insider Adrian Wojnarowski refuted the nepotism allegations, saying the league is full of family ties. Just look at Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose brother, Thanasis, has shared a locker room with him since 2019.

Under the guidance of his father, Bronny will be able to learn what it takes to be a pro: strength and conditioning, recovery, nutrition, film study, practice. He’s a raw prospect with plenty of room to grow and learn, but who better to teach than the best player of a generation?

He won’t be the same player as his father. LeBron is an impressive 6′ 9″, 250lbs forward who has torn defenses apart throughout his career with his great finishes at the rim.

Bronny, by comparison, is much smaller than his father, regardless of age. At 6′ 2” and only 210lbs, he is on the smaller end of the spectrum in terms of NBA players.

There’s a chance Bronny won’t even start the season on the Lakers roster this year, or even make an appearance for the team at all, should the team decide to send him to develop with G-League affiliate South Bay Lakers.

It would be incredible not to see Bronny and his father on the field at the same time, given its historical significance, but fans may have to wait longer than they’d like for that historic moment.

History tells us that the 55th overall pick often has little to no impact in the league. Last year’s 55th overall pick, Isaiah Wong, had an outstanding collegiate season, winning ACC Player of the Year in 2023 while leading the University of Miami to its first-ever Final Four appearance.

However, Wong has played just one game for the Indiana Pacers this season, just four minutes in a blowout win over the declining Brooklyn Nets.

Despite this, fans can count on Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins, a shining example from the second round.

Wiggins was taken out of Maryland with the 55th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft and has risen in the rankings to become a regular rotation player for a Thunder team that finished last season with the best record in the Western Conference.

It’s incredibly rare to see someone from his draft position become an NBA superstar. Only twice in league history has a second-round pick won an MVP award (Nikola Jokic and Willis Reed) and never as low as 55.

Fans can see Bronny play in a Lakers uniform for the first time next week when the Lakers take on the Sacramento Kings during the California Classic Summer League in San Francisco.

It goes without saying that history is made the moment he wears the purple and gold for the first time.