Bronny James has officially become a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, and he has already selected his jersey number for the upcoming NBA season.
The 19-year-old former USC player will be joining his father, LeBron James, in LA, making them the first father-son duo in NBA history. Fans are eagerly anticipating James’ debut with the Lakers this fall.
Lakers supporters got a sneak peek of James in his Lakers uniform when he chose to wear the number 9 jersey, with “James Jr.” on the back.
Number Nine: Bronny James. pic.twitter.com/I91YjMEXAZ
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 28, 2024
But why did James choose the number 9? Does it hold any special meaning for him or his father? Let’s find out below.
MORE: What did the Lakers tell Bronny James before they drafted him?
Why did Bronny James choose No. 9 for the Lakers?
For the 2024-25 season, James will be wearing the number 9 jersey with “James Jr.” on the back.
While James did not provide a specific reason for his jersey selection, it could be a nod to the number 6 he wore at USC. Interestingly, his father also wore the number 6 during his time with the Miami Heat and briefly with the Lakers.
MORE: The NBA has retired No. 6 in honor of Bill Russell.
During his high school days at Sierra Canyon, James wore the number 0, which is currently worn by Jalen Hood-Schifino on the Lakers roster.
Excluding James, there have been 15 players in Lakers history who have worn the number 9 jersey. The most recent player to wear it was Sterling Brown in 2023. Here is a list of all 15 players who have sported the number.
- Jim Chones
- Nick Van Exel
- Bryon Russell
- Chucky Atkins
- Laron Profit
- Sun Yue
- Matt Barnes
- Chris Kaman
- Ronnie Price
- Marcelo Huertas
- Luol Deng
- Rajon Rondo
- Wesley Matthews
- Kent Bazemore
- Sterling Brown
Bronny James’ college stats
- 4.8 points per game
- 2.8 rebounds per game
- 2.1 assists per game
- 0.8 steals per game
- 0.2 blocks per game
- 1.1 turnovers per game
- 36.6 percent field goal shooting
- 26.7 percent 3-point shooting
- 67.6 percent free throw shooting
- 19.3 minutes per game
- 25 games played