LeBron James' immediate reaction to son Bronny being drafted by Lakers

LeBron James "got very emotional" after his son Bronny was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft .

Bronny, 19, became the 55th overall pick in this year's draft when the Lakers came calling on Thursday. Los Angeles was widely expected to pick the teenager in the second round after his 39-year-old dad voiced his desire to play alongside his son before retiring.

The second and final day of the NBA Draft took place at the Barclays Center, the home of the Brooklyn Nets. Lakers star LeBron and several other members of the James family traveled to New York City with Bronny for the event to discover the prospect's fate.

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According to ESPN , the James family and some close friends had dinner near the Barclays Center while Los Angeles chiefs made their decision. Sources claim LeBron received a call from the Lakers to confirm the good news and "got very emotional" at that moment. It's said LeBron held a champagne toast to recognize Bronny's achievement.

LeBron is yet to break his silence on the draft but shared a Nike commercial of a young Bronny playing basketball. "Pressure was never a question," the commercial is captioned.

LeBron, who turns 40 in December, is one of the greatest basketball players in history after winning four NBA championships. The veteran is a four-time NBA MVP and remains a standout star, having reached 40,000 regular-season points in the league in March.

Yet the icon knows he's running out of time on the court. Winning a fifth NBA championship remains high on LeBron's agenda, with the Lakers struggling to compete last season. Los Angeles was beaten 4-1 in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the Denver Nuggets.

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LeBron can walk away from California by refusing to opt into the final year of his contract before the end of this month. The Lakers appear to be doing everything they can to keep him on their books, hiring JJ Redick as their new head coach.

Redick, 40, has no coaching experience in the NBA but started hosting a podcast, called "Mind the Game", with LeBron in March. Los Angeles chiefs have now stepped up their charm offensive on LeBron by allowing Bronny to join their roster.

Whether Bronny plays in the upcoming season is unclear, seeing as he's still a very raw prospect. The 6-foot-2 guard only made his collegiate debut last December after suffering a cardiac arrest five months earlier, which delayed his progress.

Bronny's medical emergency was blamed on a congenital heart defect, and he's now fit to play in the NBA. If Bronny does appear alongside LeBron for the Lakers, they will become the first ever father-son duo to play in the NBA.

Speaking about playing alongside Bronny last year, LeBron said: "I'm still serious about it. Obviously, I've got to continue to keep my body and my mind fresh... 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."