LeBron James' former teammate, Iman Shumpert, fully supports the Los Angeles Lakers selecting his son, Bronny James. The Lakers made Bronny the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft leading to much criticism from the media.

Many pointed towards nepotism as the reason why the Lakers drafted Bronny considering his lack of success during his lone season with the USC Trojans — he averaged just 4.8 points per game on 36.6% shooting from the field and 26.7% from beyond the arc.

However, Shumpert believes Bronny brings a lot to the table and argues that the Lakers made the right choice in selecting LeBron's son.

“I think he's going to be better in the pro's than what everybody got to watch in college,” says Shumpert in a one-on-one interview with ClutchPoints on behalf of his new series, Taking One For The Team, which begins airing on ESPN+ and Hulu on Oct. 16.

“Everybody — they're going to do a lot of extra stuff because it's LeBron's son. But his game is different. He's got his similarities, but his game is different than his dad's and his game is really good for the NBA.”

Shumpert — who teamed up with James to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA championship in 2016 — details what the 6-foot-2 James brings to the table.

“He knows how to make the right play, he knows when to be aggressive,” says Shumpert. “He has the athletic gene that is just there. He don't even know why he can do half the stuff he can do, but we all do. I think as he gets his rhythm, as he gets himself in those positions to make those decisions over and over again, we're about to watch his learning curve be faster than any other guys.”

Bronny James makes Lakers debut ahead of making NBA history

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While LeBron didn't play in the Lakers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, Bronny did make his debut, appearing in 16 minutes of action while scoring two points on 1-for-6 from the field with one rebound and one assist.

When LeBron and Bronny James step on the court for the first time in an official game, they'll make history as the first father-son duo to step foot on an NBA court together. Shumpert acknowledges that the prospect of playing with his son — rather than winning another ring — is a lot more important for LeBron at this stage of his career.

It's the reason why Shumpert believes James will end his career in Los Angeles, giving him another two or three years before he calls it a career.

“Yeah, that's a dream,” says Shumpert. “That's probably a dream that he didn't dream, never thought he could do. But that is incredible, incredible to be able to pick and roll with your son. That's a man. I don't even have a son, I got to do pick and rolls with my daughter. He gets to do it with his son in the NBA. That is wow.”

The Lakers will open the regular season on Oct. 22 with a home matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which will mark the first official opportunity for LeBron and Bronny to team up together in a game that matters.