Report: Warriors didn’t draft Bronny to ‘respect’ LeBron’s wishes originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
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It appears the Warriors did their Southern California neighbors a solid during the 2024 NBA Draft.
Golden State’s final pick of the recent draft came at No. 52, three selections before Los Angeles’ closing pick. With LeBron James’ son Bronny James still on the board when the Warriors were on the clock, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and Co. passed on the 19-year-old guard to “respect the wishes” of the elder James, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported, citing sources.
The Warriors liked Bronny’s skill set and had him on their draft board, Shelburne added, but ultimately opted to go a different way by drafting 7-foot center Quinten Post.
NBA history was made when the Lakers drafted Bronny, marking the first time a father and son have been in the league at the same time.
“It means the world to [LeBron],” Lakers star center Anthony Davis said after training camp this week. “I mean, no one has ever got a chance to play with their son. So that’s like a different level of joy and appreciation. Nobody’s ever done that.”
Bronny enters the league following a tumultuous freshman year at USC. Months before his college career was set to begin, Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest during a July 2023 practice at USC’s Galen Center. He was hospitalized and later diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, the likely cause of his cardiac arrest.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound guard averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game over 25 contests. He shot just 36.6 percent from the floor and 26.7 percent from 3-point range (60 total attempts) and 67.6 percent from the free throw line (34 total attempts).
And while there are plenty of questions about his NBA production, it will be a special sight when the James duo take an NBA court together during the 2024-25 season — and the Warriors can partly be to thank for that.
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