The Lakers made history tonight after drafting Bronny James at 55. Once their selection was finalized, team GM/President Rob Pelinka opened up on the addition and explained how his work ethic and character helped secure his spot.
“Next season, NBA history could be made and NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform. That’s just sort of globally how we feel about the draft moment. And more important than that is to talk about Bronny James as a basketball player because this is his day and he was the one selected with the 55th pick,” said Pelinka.
“Bronny is first and foremost a person of high character and second he is a young man that works incredibly hard. Those are the qualities we look for in drafting players. He did a great draft workout with us where he displayed those qualities to me in an hour lunch we shared in the building. Once we got to know each other it became clear he’s a man of character and in terms of his work ethic, I think we’ve all seen that worked out too. He’s not a person who is taking shortcuts or is entitled to basketball opportunities. He’s worked for everything he’s gotten, including being selected today. So, it’s an honor for us to add him to our program.”
Rob Pelinka on Bronny James and stressing that the Lakers chose him mostly because of his character, work ethic and potential pic.twitter.com/BPBfYN1tQE
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) June 27, 2024
It was a nice statement from Pelinka and it really shows how much the Lakers value Bronny’s defining traits as a competitor, a leader, and a young athlete trying to prove that he belongs. As the son of an NBA legend, you would think that James is someone who is used to free hand-outs, but the guy is willing to outwork anyone in the gym and on the court.
High-character, high work ethic players in the locker room are a good thing to have and the Lakers clearly value those attributes more than most. In the case of Bronny, his maturity and humility are surely commendable but his game still leaves much to be desired.
Bronny Was All Smiles After Hearing His Name On Draft Night
With averages of 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, Bronny did not have a dominant college career but it was still good enough to get his ticket to the league.
After months of planning and posturing, James’ dream finally came true when he heard his name to the Lakers at 55. In a now-released video, we can see his live reaction with a group of friends and family.
Bryce James posted a video of the moment Bronny was drafted by the Lakers 🔥
(via _justbryce / IG) pic.twitter.com/Iwlr3xrCzZ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 27, 2024
Bronny reportedly threatened to play in Australia if any other team besides the Lakers dared to draft him and it successfully put out any attempts to disrupt his arrival to the Lakers. Clearly, this is what Bronny wanted and you can’t blame him for craving to make history alongside his dad.
Now, the hard work really begins for James. To validate Pelinka’s words and prove that he belongs, Bronny will have to work for it and it will require many, many hours in the gym, the court, and the film room. Fortunately, the 19-year-old seems more than up for the task and he’ll have a lot of support every step of the way.
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