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This must be the first—and almost certainly will be the last—time that the No. 55 pick in the current draft will arrive at summer league on a first-name basis with even the most casual hoop fans.
Of course, most No. 55 picks aren’t direct descendants of NBA royalty. It just so happens that this year’s 55th pick, Bronny James, is the firstborn of LeBron James, one of two reasonable answers to the GOAT debates. Oh, and son also just so happened be selected by father’s franchise, the decorated and forever-fishbowled Los Angeles Lakers.
This is a situation unlike any we’ve seen, and probably one we’ll never see again. It’s also a narrative Bronny could quiet a tiny bit by starting to establish an NBA identity different than his dad’s. He’ll always be LeBron’s son, obviously, but the better Bronny performs, the less people can try to say that’s all he is.
“I’m … trying to get my name out for myself,” Bronny told reporters. “I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad. That’s always there to take part of, but it wasn’t a main focus of mine.”
The overlapping tenures of LeBron and Bronny is already a first for this league. There were almost surely be a history-making moment of the two sharing the floor at some point next season, too.
Bronny plays a part in that history, but it’s much more a reflection of his father’s legacy. Summer league and the G League-heavy regular season that follows, though, is all about Bronny. He has a spotlight courtesy of his bloodlines, but this is his chance to seize it.