Bronny James reveals reason behind jersey selection at first Lakers presser conference

Bronny James has revealed his reason for choosing to wear No. 9 on the Los Angeles Lakers, as he is still overwhelmed by his second-round selection in the NBA Draft.

The 19-year-old eldest son of now new teammate LeBron, 39, explained the way in which the last single digit serves as a tribute to close friend and former rapper, Juice WRLD, who died of an accidental overdose at just age 21 in December 2019. 

He said: 'Juice has been a big part of me, keeping calm in some situations that I've been through. So yeah, just paying homage to him especially because he passed. It's a really important thing for me.'

Bronny shares a common '999' tattoo with Juice, although the guard has it behind his ear while the 'Lucid Dreams' hitmaker had it on his body. The angel number 999 signifies the completion of a cycle and the beginning of a new one.

When someone sees this number, it's usually a sign that a chapter in their life is soon to come to a close, and that new opportunities and possibilities are on the horizon. 

Bronny joins the NBA only 11 months after suffering cardiac arrest and 25 games for USC. He addressed his six-month rise from competitively playing again on a college basketball to being projected to not making the cut at the NBA Draft Combine.

'Everything's just been surreal,' the 6-ft-2 guard told reporters while sitting alongside head coach JJ Redick, general manager Rob Pelinka and Dalton Knecht - the Lakers' 17th overall pick of this year's draft.

'Just trying to take it all in by the days. I'm extremely grateful for everything that JJ and Rob have given to me. I've been extremely excited to get work.' 

When asked about the criticism and hype that comes with playing with his four-time NBA champion father, Bronny said: 'For sure [playing with him] amplified the amount of pressure.

'I've already seen it on social media and on the internet and stuff, talking about how I might not deserve an opportunity. But I've been dealing with this stuff for my whole life.

'It's nothing different. [The pressure] is more amplified for sure, but I can get through it.' 

More to follow...