Bronny James may be the son of an NBA legend, but he’s earned his place as one of the brightest young talents in the game. On Thursday, moments before the Lakers pick, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin confirmed that drafting Bronny had the full approval of Anthony Davis.
“I spoke to Anthony Davis this morning and I brought up Bronny James and he said, ‘I wouldn’t be mad at the team’ if we took him if he was still available at 55 and see where it goes from there. AD told me that he got to watch Bronny work out several times in the pre-draft process and he watched the way he played alongside a big man. Davis told me he was ‘really impressed’ with the way he was able to break down the defense, get into the teeth of it, and be able to set up his teammates for success.”
"I wouldn't be mad at the team if we took him if he was still available at [No.] 55." 📈 @mcten says Anthony Davis told him he was "really impressed" after watching Bronny James work out pre-draft 👀 pic.twitter.com/FvctXbYeuj
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 27, 2024
James Jr. only worked out for two teams this summer: the Lakers and the Suns. While we don’t know how well he performed in those workouts, or what they entailed, it was clearly enough to make an impression on Davis, who will be a key player for the Lakers moving forward.
At 31 years old, Davis is still in his prime and he’s going to be the guy that leads the Lakers for the foreseeable future. It’s important that the Lakers keep him happy and it must have been a relief for them when he signed off on drafting Bronny.
James, who had a modest season at USC, caused division among the community for his place among others in his class. He averaged 4.8 points and 2.1 assists per game on 38% shooting for the Trojans but he looked comfortable on the court and he showed a lot of potential as a playmaker and scorer in the backcourt.
At 6’2″, Bronny also doesn’t have the height or size of his father and he lacks the superstar presence. Still, he brings natural athleticism, an advanced understanding of the game, and a show of leadership that is rare to see for someone his age. The Lakers feel like he can help them contribute next season and it’s arguably the best way to ensure that LeBron James sticks around until the end of his career.
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