Make Way for Bronny!

Bronny James has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he’ll play alongside his dad, LeBron James.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (wearing yellow) controls the ball during a July 6, 2024, Summer League game.

The Los Angeles Lakers just signed a new player with a familiar last name. Bronny James, whose dad is NBA legend LeBron James, will play for the Lakers alongside LeBron. The pair will be the first father and son to play as teammates in the National Basketball Association, or NBA.

Bronny, who plays in the guard position, was a valued member of his high school basketball team. In his last year of high school, he averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 steals. He went on to play at the University of Southern California (USC) for one season before the NBA drafted him. At 19, Bronny is one year older than LeBron was when he got drafted into the NBA more than 20 years ago.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (right) celebrates with Bronny James (left) in 2023 after breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record.

It’s safe to say LeBron is excited that he and his oldest son will play together. It’s something he’s been wanting for a while.

“I need to be on the [basketball court] floor with my boy,” he said in 2023. “Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him.”

After Bronny signed with the Lakers, retired and current NBA players like Magic Johnson and Chris Paul congratulated him on social media. Fans—even famous ones—are excited to see the father and son side by side on the court. They’re also anxious to see how well Bronny plays, considering his dad has been called one of basketball’s greatest players ever. Bronny says it might not be easy to have all those people watching him. But he’s used to it. After all, he’s the son of an NBA superstar.

“It’s for sure [a lot of] of pressure,” Bronny said after the Lakers drafted him. “But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this my whole life, so it’s nothing different. We’ll get through it.”

Bronny has a big job ahead of him. But for at least a season, he’ll have his dad there to guide him.

Did You Know?

In this 1990 photo, Ken Griffey Jr. (left) talks to his dad, Ken Griffey Sr. (right) during a game.

Ken Griffey, Sr., and Ken Griffey, Jr., were the first father and son teammates in Major League Baseball, playing together for the Seattle Mariners in 1990 and 1991. In total, the Griffeys hit 782 home runs during their careers. They even hit back-to-back home runs during a 1990 game against the California Angels!

Coming Soon: The Olympics!

This image shows several new Olympic sports. They are 3×3 basketball (top left), skateboarding (top right), sport climbing (bottom right), breaking (bottom left), and surfing (center).

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games are set to open on July 26. The best athletes from 184 countries will come together in Paris, France, to compete in gymnastics, basketball, cycling, track and field, swimming, diving, and more. The action will be shown on TV and online.

Believe it or not, the very first Olympics took place in ancient Greece in 776 BCE. That’s about 2,800 years ago! The Olympics have changed a lot since then, and new events are added regularly. Here are some recently added ones you might want to check out.

Breaking

Breaking, also called breakdancing, involves athletic moves like head spins, footwork, and freezes. Breaking is improvised, meaning that the moves are made up on the spot to go along with whatever music is playing.

Surfing

Surfers stand on surfboards as they ride ocean waves for as long as they can without falling. Ocean waves and currents are hard to predict—but surfers love the challenge! Surfing was introduced to the Olympics at the 2020 games.

Skateboarding

Skateboarding was also introduced to the Olympics at the 2020 games. Athletes will ride over bowls, bends, handrails, and even stairs, doing tricks along the way.

Sport Climbing

In sport climbing, athletes climb up one or more walls to see who is fastest. The climbing wall has places to grab on to, but it’s up to each climber to figure out which ones to use for the fastest climb.

3×3 Basketball

In 3×3 basketball, three players from each team compete on a half-sized court with only one basket. The game is simpler and faster than NBA basketball.

Best Ever?

LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. But is he the best basketball player ever? Judge for yourself! You can read more about LeBron at Britannica.

Word of the Day

progeny

Part of speech:

noun

Definition:

: a person who comes from a particular parent or family

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