BRONNY JAMES DECLARES FOR NBA DRAFT DESPITE ENTERING NCAA TRANSFER PORTAL – AND LEAVES FANS WITH LEBRON JAMES THEORY (KF)
BRONNY James revealed that he’s declaring for the NBA draft and fans believe the decision has something to do with his father, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
The 19-year-old Bronny will still maintain his college eligibility and will also enter the transfer portal, he revealed on social media on Friday.
The eldest son of NBA legend LeBron James, Bronny, has declared for the NBA DraftCredit: Getty
Bronny announced his decision on Instagram.
He told fans that he “had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student, and athlete.”
Bronny played his freshman season at USC in 2023, but a cardiac arrest before the campaign stunted his time on the court and overall stock.
NBA fans, however, believe that Bronny entering the draft means that his father LeBron will be playing his final season in 2024-25.
One said, “This just tells us that bron got one more year before he retire.”
Another wrote, “Lebron gonna retire after the season.”
While a third commented, “Close to the last of LeBron.”
LeBron has spoken in the past about his desire to play a season in the NBA with Bronny.
“I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny,” James said to ESPN in January 2023.
“Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him,’ he said. ‘. . . But I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing. That would be ideal for sure.”
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The four-time NBA champion LeBron is under contract for one more year with the Lakers.
Bronny’s decision comes after a Tuesday report from National Sportswriters Hall of Fame member Dick Weiss in which he leaked that Bronny could potentially be leaving USC in a now-deleted social media post.
“USC freshman guard Bronny James is entering the transfer portal,” Dick Weiss wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
LeBron responded to the rumors after the Lakers’ 128-111 win over the Toronto Raptors.
LeBron told reporters that the James family will “support whatever [Bronny] does”Credit: Getty
“I don’t know where [the reports] came from but at the end of the day, Bronny is his own man and he has some tough decision to make,” he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“As his family we gonna support whatever he does.”
Weiss ended up retracting his statement and offered an apology.
“Can’t confirm Bronny James story guys,” Weiss acknowledged.
“Still think its an idea whose time has come. Make sense it happens.
“I love the kid, think he could be a star elsewhere.”
In his freshman season, Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19 minutes a game.
Due to his recent cardiac arrest and heart procedure, Bronny has to be evaluated and approved by the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel before he can be eligible to participate in team workouts, the Draft Combine next month or be selected in the Draft.
He can take part in interviews with teams without the medical clearance.
If Bronny decides to return to college and transfer to another school, Duquesne is to be atop his desired landing spots, per ESPN.
