Bronny James will honor the legacy of late r#### Juice WRLD in his debut NBA season playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
On Tuesday (July 2), James participated in his inaugural press conference for the franchise alongside his fellow draftee Dalton Knecht. During the presser, James briefly explained his thought process behind picking his jersey number, revealing how the number nine reflects his commitment to keeping the memory of the deceased Chicago rapper alive.
”Juice [WRLD] has just been a big part of me keeping calm through some of the situations I have been through,” James said. “So you know, just paying homage to him especially because he passed is a really important thing for me.
Chicago rapper and Juice WRLD affiliate G Herbo showed his support for Bronny’s tribute by adding a strong arm emoji in the comments section of the original video post.
Prior to the press conference, James and his father LeBron dropped a few Easter egg hints to the meaning of the number he picked for his jersey. In an interview James did amid the NBA Draft Combine, he revealed that Future, and of course Juice WRLD were mainstays on his workout playlists.
Additionally, shortly after James was drafted by the Lakers with the 55th pick in the second round of the draft, LeBron shared a post soundtracked by Juice WRLD’s#### song “Lucid Dreams” featuring a rendering of the design for his son’s jersey along with a photo of Bronny donning his uniform.
James isn’t the only active NBA player who has publicly co-signed the late rapper while highlighting their admiration for his music and influence. Stars such as Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jayson Tatum have shared their love for his hits, with LeBron often citing Juice WRLD as one of his favorite artists.
Juice WRLD’s introspective lyrics and melodic style resonated with athletes, becoming a staple on pre-game playlists and in personal tributes. Tragically, Juice WRLD passed away in December 2019 after suffering a seizure at Chicago’s Midway Airport, reportedly caused by an accidental overdose of oxycodone and codeine, just days after his 21st birthday.
Check out the video from the press conference above.
