LeBron James has said for years that one of his career goals is to suit up alongside son Bronny in the NBA – but the first round came and went without the teenager’s name being called

Bronny James was not selected in the first round of the NBA Draft as LeBron James must wait at least another day to see where his son will land in the league.

The 19-year-old decided to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft despite maintaining his college eligibility. The move was surprising, and led to speculation over James’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers given his hopes of playing alongside Bronny in the NBA.

While it gave him more options, Bronny’s decision to declare for the draft was one that caught many by surprise, considering how raw the teenager looked in his sole season at USC. The 6-foot-2 guard showed flashes of what could make him a dangerous threat on the floor, with his defensive ability standing out in particular.

Bronny has the typical build of an NBA point guard. He has proved himself as a reliable shooter with deep shots coming both off the dribble and as a spot up, while he is also considered a high-level defensive player for his age, although question marks remain over his ability to effectively transition to the next level.

Bronny’s basketball career was thrown into doubt ahead of his first college season when he suffered a cardiac arrest at a team practice last July. However, he was cleared to return to the court and, after missing the first eight games, made 25 appearances for the Trojans, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

Ultimately, Bronny’s future is intertwined with that of his iconic father. James is reportedly happy with the Lakers, and he has a $51 million player option this offseason that enables him to stay in Los Angeles for the 2024-25 season. But he could also hit free agency or even extend after his former podcast co-host JJ Redick was recently named the head coach of the Lakers.

LeBron James wants to play alongside Bronny ( Image: Getty Images)

Bronny was not projected to be a first-round pick, so his failure to get drafted on Thursday is hardly a surprise. It will be interesting to see what happens next given James has been adamant over his goal in hoping to emulate MLB’s Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. as the first father-son duo to become NBA teammates.

Last year, James told reporters: “I was serious. And I’m still serious about it. Obviously, I’ve got to continue to keep my body and my mind fresh, I think my mind most importantly… But at the end of the day, I’ve done what I had to do in this league, and my son is going to take his journey.

“Just because it’s my aspiration (to play together)_ doesn’t mean it’s his, and I’m absolutely OK with that. My job is just to support my son in whatever he wants to do… One thing about being a parent is it’s not always about what you want. It’s about listening to your kids and what they want, and that’s when you get a real relationship.”