LeBron James went into dad mode on Monday, commenting on social media about his son, Southern California guard Bronny James' readiness for the NBA, writing, “Can you please just let the kid be a kid and go to college.” -Enjoy basketball?”
The comment, which was later deleted, was made in response to a post on “Ultimately, no matter what he chooses, the work and results will be what matters,” wrote LeBron James on Earned Not Given!
“And to all the other kids out there who aspire to be great, just keep your head down, blinders on and keep going,” James wrote. “These mock drafts don’t matter at all! I promise you! Only the work counts! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE!”
LeBron James Jr. — the older son of James and his wife Savannah — arrived at USC in May as a four-star prospect who was projected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 draft. But Bronny's first season began with a delay after he suffered cardiac arrest in July and collapsed during a team practice due to what a family spokeswoman said was a congenital heart defect. The 1.90 meter tall 19-year-old was cleared to return at the end of November and averaged 5.5 points on 37.1 percent shooting, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 19 games. He averages about 20 minutes per game and has made six starts for the 11-16 Trojans, who are second-to-last in the Pac-12 with a league-leading 5-11 record. He is now listed as a 2025 pick in several mock drafts.
LeBron James, the NBA's leading scorer in his 21st season, has made no secret of his desire to play alongside Bronny (and also his younger son Bryce) in the NBA. At 39, he is under contract with the Lakers for the entire season and has a player option for 2024-25. But his future with the team was a topic of conversation as the Lakers fought for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs. (They are in play-in territory at this point and have the conference's ninth-best record.) Earlier this month, The Athletic reported that the Lakers were “open to exploring the idea” of adding Bronny as a rookie next season . He would be eligible to enter the draft after his first season at USC, but it is not clear if he will do so.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst, who has mentored Bronny's father since he was in high school in Ohio, said he believes James will seek a multi-year deal with the Lakers this summer.
“I don’t think this is LeBron’s last stand. I don’t think this is the Lakers’ last game,” Windhorst said Monday ESPN’s “First Take.” “First of all, I think LeBron wants to sign a multi-year, nine-figure deal with the Lakers in the offseason. This will be even bigger than the deal he has made now.
“Whether he can get this deal done or not, whether the Lakers want to give him a three-year contract and pay him $60 million when he's 42, that's a different discussion.”
Time is running out, as LeBron recently discovered.
“I have no idea how many seasons I have left,” he said during All-Star Weekend. “I know there aren’t that many. I'm happy and have been very lucky to be a Laker for the last six years and hopefully it stays that way. I don't know how long it will take or what uniform I will wear. Hopefully it's the Lakers. It's a great organization, so many great things. I don't know how it will end, but it will. It’s definitely coming.”