USC Basketball: Bronny James Addresses Whether He Wants to Play with LeBron in NBA

The ex-Trojans reserve is turning heads at the NBA Draft Combine.

May 15, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Bronny James participates in the 2024 NBA Draft Combine. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The world at large is quite aware that 20-time All-Star forward LeBron James, who just wrapped up his sixth season with the Los Angeles Lakers, has long wanted to suit up alongside at least eldest son Bronny James, who just unceremoniously concluded a probably one-and-done collegiate run with the USC Trojans.

Bronny, 19, was a four-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, but a cardiac arrest over the summer greatly disrupted his life and his preseason prep. He was eventually cleared to play (and has subsequently been medically cleared to continue his career at the pro level), but never quite found his footing at the NCAA level. Across his 25 healthy bouts with the Cardinal and Gold (six starts), the 6-foot-4 combo guard averaged averaged 4.8 points on .366/.267/.676 shooting splits, 2.8 boards, 2.1 dimes and 0.8 swipes per for the 15-18 Trojans.

At the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago this week, the younger James spoke out on whether or not he's interested in playing alongside his superstar dad, still going strong at age 39 (LeBron is the oldest active player in the league, and is remarkably still performing at an All-Star level), per ESPN's NBA-themed Instagram.

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"I would be happy about getting to the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad," Bronny James told reporters earlier this week. "I'm just trying to put in the work and see where it takes me."

Though James is not considered to be a Day 1 draft prospect, and submitted numbers generally too lackluster for consideration on Day 2 as a freshman, because of his genetic pedigree (and the possibility that LeBron, who has a player option for the 2024-25 season, could ditch L.A. and play wherever Bronny is drafted), it still seems likely one of the league's 30 squad will at least take a flyer on him in the second round.

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