May 14, 2024
Bronny James, the eldest son of NBA legend LeBron James, is generating buzz in the basketball world as multiple teams outside of the Los Angeles Lakers express interest in hosting workouts and meetings with him.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, at least two or three teams are planning to schedule workouts for Bronny following his impressive performance at the NBA draft combine. Charania also reported that James has been medically cleared by the NBA's Fitness to Play Panel after being diagnosed with a congenital heart defect last year.
Bronny, who stands at 6-foot-1 1/2 without shoes and has a wingspan of 6-7 1/4 inches, impressed scouts with his shooting skills during the combine. Despite averaging only 27 percent from three-point range in his freshman season at USC, NBA teams remain confident in his potential as a shooter.
James made his college debut on Dec. 10 against Long Beach State and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game during the regular season.
The Lakers own the No. 17 pick in the NBA draft but have not yet decided whether to select Bronny or allow him to return to college for another year.
LeBron has expressed his desire to play alongside his son before retiring from professional basketball, and many believe that the Lakers are the most likely destination for both father and son.
However, other teams are also showing interest in Bronny's talents. The Hawks, Rockets, Spurs, Warriors, and several other teams have reportedly expressed interest in hosting workouts for the young guard.
Bronny's journey to the NBA has been filled with challenges and setbacks. After collapsing due to a cardiac arrest during a USC team workout in July 2023, he returned to practice just four months later. His college career was short-lived as he declared for the NBA Draft on April 5 and entered the transfer portal to maintain flexibility while working out for various teams.
Despite his limited college experience, Bronny projects as a 3-and-D guard who plays hard, makes good decisions on offense, does the little things, passes well, leads fast breaks off defensive rebounds, fills transition lanes and attacks the rim when he gets a chance. He is also an excellent defensive player who fights at the point of attack and has the length and foot speed to stick with most guards.
Bronny's offense is still a work in progress as he struggled to generate any half-court paint touches this year and isn't much of a pull-up shooter yet. However, his shooting ability was on display during the combine, where he made 10 out of 13 shots from three-point range.
As the NBA draft approaches on June 26, Bronny will have every opportunity to improve his stock and impress teams with his skills and potential.
