Report: Warriors didn’t draft Bronny to ‘respect’ LeBron’s wishes originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Programming note: Watch “Warriors Now” with Monte Poole and Dalton Johnson on Friday at 5 pm Pacific Time, live from training camp in Hawaii, streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Watch the show later YouTube and Facebook.
It looks like the Warriors did their Southern California neighbors a big favor during the 2024 NBA Draft.
Golden State’s final pick in the recent draft came at No. 52, three picks ahead of Los Angeles’ closing pick. With Bronny James, son of LeBron James Still on the board with the Warriors 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 skills and had him on their draft board, Shelburne added, but ultimately opted to take a different path than 7ft Quinten Post center drafting.
NBA history was made when the Lakers drafted Bronny, marking the first time a father and son were in the league at the same time.
“It means a lot to (LeBron),” Lakers star center Anthony Davis said after training camp this week. “I mean, no one has ever had the opportunity to play with their child. So that’s like a different level of joy and appreciation. No one has ever done that.”
Bronny enters the league after a tumultuous first year at USC. Months before his college career began, Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest during a July 2023 practice at USC’s Galen Center. He was hospitalized and later diagnosed with to congenital heart defectthe probable 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 in 25 games. 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 production in the NBA, it will be a special spectacle when the James duo take the NBA court together during the 2024-25 season, and the Warriors can thank them in part for that.