LeBron James to Magic? Here's How Lakers Superstar Signs with Orlando

The Orlando Magic seems like the last team LeBron James would ever play for. But there's a small chance the improbable could happen.
LeBron James to Magic? Here's How Lakers Superstar Signs with Orlando
LeBron James to Magic? Here's How Lakers Superstar Signs with Orlando /
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ORLANDO - After LeBron James won the NBA championship in the Disney World bubble in 2020, he vowed never to sign with the Orlando Magic in free agency.

"You gotta understand every time I hear 'Orlando', I get PTSD, I was in the bubble for 95 [days]," James said in an appearance on HBO's 'The Shop' in 2021. "They have no chance [of signing me in free agency]."

Yes, absolutely zero chance, but what if the Magic enticed him with drafting his son Bronny in the 2024 NBA Draft?

ESPN released its first 2024 mock draft, sending the younger James to Orlando with the No. 10 overall pick.

"Some might be surprised to see James, ranked anywhere from 28 to 43 by the major recruiting services, as a potential top-10 pick," ESPN writes. "James has earned his spot in lottery conversations with the significant jump he has made at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth, California, this season, developing into arguably the best perimeter defender in his high school class while making strides in his perimeter shooting and playmaking ability."

Bronny has an incredibly tall task of playing in his father's shadow, one he likely will never get out of. It's hard to build expectations and a legacy for yourself when your dad is the all-time scorer in the history of the league.

That being said, LeBron has clamored in the past about playing long enough so that he can be teammates with his son for possibly his last NBA campaign.

"I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny," James said in an interview with ESPN earlier this year. "Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him. I don't mean like [guarding one another all game] -- because he's a point guard and I'm a, at this point now I'm playing center or whatever the team needs from me. But I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing. That would be ideal for sure."

If Bronny gets drafted by the Magic, that could force James into a difficult decision ... play with your son, but it has to be in Orlando. Maybe LeBron will have a change of heart about playing in central Florida.


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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.