"Bronny to LA with the 17th pick?!": Lakers fans buzz with excitement as LeBron James and Rob Pelinka presence heats up Bronny James draft stock
The presence of LeBron James and LA Lakers GM Rob Pelinka at the ongoing NBA Draft Combine has led to a frenzy among fans on social media. The future of Bronny James has been a much-speculated topic for months. Partly down to his own stock, much has been made about how Bronny’s eventual destination might have a huge say on his father LeBron’s NBA future.
While the Lakers might have an option of drafting Bronny directly via the No. 17 pick of the upcoming draft, there are a range of factors that might end up having a say. Regardless, fans are certainly brewing with excitement considering their response to the mere presence of LeBron and Pelinka.
A range of users used LeBron James and Pelinka's attendance as evidence of the fact that the father-son duo will be playing for the Lakers next campaign.
Bronny went viral for his performance in the 3-point drill, which saw him drain 12 shots consecutively. Expected to be a first-round pick, a number of fans seem to have already made their conclusions.
One fan had a question about the Lakers' No. 17 pick:
"Are they going to use the 17 pick on his son?"
Another joked that LeBron James was merely talking about Gabe Vincent:
"He letting him know Bronny can really do what Gabe Vincent was supposed to do for us"
One user took things a step further, claiming that Bronny is set to be joined by Donovan Mitchell at the Lakers:
"Bronny and Mitchell are Lakers 😍"
However, one user claimed he will stop supporting the team if they drafted Bronny:
"If we draft Bronny and get JJ as HC then I am done with the Lakers till LeBron is gone. This isn't the Lakers anymore."
However, most saw LeBron James and Pelinka's presence as evidence that the father-son duo was indeed going to play for LA:
"The Lakers traded for Westbrook at Lebron’s (and AD) urging and are willing to draft Bronny. They obviously are going to hire the coach Lebron wants and will be able to co-coach with."
Needless to say, with the 2024 NBA draft set for 27 Jun., there is still time for plenty of other teams to enter the fray.
LeBron James to play alongside Bronny for the Lakers?
There is little doubt that much of how things turn out will depend on what kind of an impact Bronny can make during the ongoing Draft Combine. Set to conclude on May 19, Bronny seems fully focused on the task at hand:
"I’m extremely grateful to be here and given the opportunity to be here," he said. "I’m just trying to showcase my best work that I’ve been putting in after the season and just take it all in."
While LeBron James remains hungry for another title, his future might be heavily influenced by where Bronny wounds up. If the LA Lakers intend to keep hold of their star veteran, there is no prizes for guessing what must be done.