Watch: Bronny James surprises fans in Santa Monica by revealing Victor Wembanyama rookie card at Topps event
Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, seemingly took a break from his intense workout routine this week to enjoy some downtime in Los Angeles. The 19-year-old was spotted in Santa Monica on Saturday attending the Topps Hobby Rip Night event.
Fans lined up around Rizo Sports to catch a glimpse of the Los Angeles Lakers rookie. Bronny James looked calm and casual as he walked up to the store in a black t-shirt and a cross around his neck.
Once inside, James opened a pack of cards and was fortunate to find a rare Victor Wembanyama rookie card. Fans could be heard cheering and applauding after the young guard pulled the rare card.
Victor Wembanyama was selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Frenchman was named the Rookie of the Year last season after recording 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He also led the league with 3.6 blocks per game.
Bronny James, who attended the University of Southern California last year, was the 55th overall pick in the 2024 draft. He signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract this summer and is set to make his NBA debut next season for the Lakers.
After pulling some cards to add to his collection, Bronny proceeded to greet the fans and even made time to take some selfies.
LeBron James joked that son Bronny James cannot call him "Dad" on the court
After his freshman season at USC, Bronny James declared for the NBA Draft instead of returning for his sophomore year in college. The Lakers organization took a chance on the young guard and selected him in the second round, pairing him with his father, four-time league MVP and one of the greats of the game, LeBron James.
LeBron and Bronny are set to become the first father-son duo to take to the court together at some point next season and it will be a historic moment that fans will remember for years to come.
During an episode of Uninterrupted's The Shop earlier this summer, LeBron James joked that Bronny would have to be careful when calling out to his newest teammate on the court.
"We already laid that down. Cannot call me 'dad' in the workplace," said LeBron.
The Los Angeles Lakers will look to bounce back after a disappointing season where they were knocked out in the first round of the NBA playoffs. With LeBron James signing a two-year, $101.3 million deal to return to the organization, the expectations will be high for the franchise in 2024/25.