The jersey worn by Bronny James in his NBA Summer debut sold for $38,400 at Sotheby’s “Summer League Selects” auction recently. The total was nearly quadruple the pre-auction estimate.
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The 19-year-old was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers as the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
Despite being a second-round pick, James was the main attraction of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. That is no surprise since he is the eldest son of LeBron James.
James’ rookie jersey nearly outsold his father’s at the Sotheby’s auction. A Lakers jersey worn by the veteran on Nov. 15, 2023, in a game against the Sacramento Kings sold for $42,000. James’ Summer League debut jersey was just $3,600 less than his father’s.
The No. 1 draft pick, Zaccharie Risacher, didn’t earn as high a bid for his rookie jersey. The Athletic reported that the Atlanta Hawks’ jersey sold for $3,360.
Reed Sheppard, the third overall pick of the 2024 draft class, had a higher bid for his jersey. Sheppard’s Houston Rockets Summer League jersey sold for $15,600.
Although James didn’t get taken in the first round, he is a high-profile player because of who his father is. James and his father will be the first father-son duo in NBA history to play together.
As fans anxiously await to witness history at Crypto.com Arena, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said no plans have been cemented surrounding the father-son debut.
“We obviously have talked about it as a staff and we’ve gotten into some specifics of what that might look like,” Redick told ESPN. “But we haven’t committed to anything. And obviously, there’s a discussion to be had once we’re all together with Bronny and LeBron, too. They should be a part of that discussion as well.”
“I don’t look at it as a challenge,” Redick added. “It’s unique from any other challenge of coaching a player or coaching a relationship. Bronny, I feel very fortunate that I get to coach him because he’s young and he’s hungry, and he’s got a lot of inherent skill sets that we can really mold into a really good NBA player. On top of that, he’s a fantastic kid. He’s extremely coachable. He’s got the right spirit and energy every single day. So … it’s not something I’ve really thought of as a challenge.”
The biggest question facing the Lakers is how they plan on taking down the best of the Western Conference this season.
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