Lakers Pick Bronny James In NBA Draft

Before Thursday, there never had been a father-son duo playing in the NBA at the same time. And now, the first father-son pair is set to be teammates after the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James -- the eldest son of LeBron James -- with the 55th pick in the second round of the draft.

"Beyond blessed," Bronny James wrote in an Instagram post.

The James family received the news while gathered together at an intimate dinner party in New York, sources told ESPN. LeBron's mother, Gloria, and wife Savannah's parents attended, along with some of Bronny's closest friends and confidants.

After the Lakers delivered their decision, LeBron led the group in a champagne toast to commemorate the occasion, a source told ESPN, and was "very emotional" considering the weight of the moment.

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Bronny, 19, averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game in his lone season at USC. He joined the Trojans in game action midseason after being sidelined for nearly five months while recovering from a cardiac arrest episode that required surgery to treat a congenital heart defect.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound guard was medically cleared to be drafted by the NBA's Fitness to Play Panel on the eve of the draft combine last month.

His father has until 5 p.m. ET Saturday to opt into the final year of his Lakers contract -- worth $51.4 million for next season -- or become an unrestricted free agent.

The Lakers are focused on retaining LeBron James for his 22nd season and beyond and are willing to offer the 39-year-old the maximum three-year, $162 million deal he is eligible for to keep him with the franchise, sources told ESPN.

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Filed Under: Bronny James, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Draft

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