‘Pops’ and ‘Old Man’ won’t do. ‘Dad’ certainly is out of the question.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James answered one of the more unique questions about his potentially playing with son Bronny, the No. 55 overall selection in the 2024 NBA draft – what Bronny would actually call his father on the court. Given the potential embarrassment of an NBA player shouting ‘Dad’ at one of his teammates, that is one option that is off the table.
‘No, he can’t,’ James said with a laugh during an appearance of ‘The Shop,’ a show he co-produces. ‘We already laid that down. He cannot call me ‘Dad’ in the workplace, all right? Once we leave out of the practice facility and the gates close, I could be ‘Dad’ again. In the car if we ride together, at home, I could be ‘Dad.’ No, he got to call me like ‘2-3’ or ‘Bron,’ or ‘GOAT,’ if he wants to. It’s up to him. I mean, it’s up to him.’
If Bronny and LeBron appear in a regular-season game together, they will become the first father-son duo in NBA history to ever do so. LeBron, who turns 40 in December, reached an agreement with the Lakers in July on a two-year, $104 million contract, so the pair would theoretically have another season to accomplish the feat, should it not happen this upcoming season. Bronny is expected to spend a significant amount of time next season in the G League, the NBA’s minor league developmental system.
‘It’s easy for me because I’ve been calling him ‘Bronny’ for so long,’ James continued. ‘It’s not like I’ve been, ‘Hey son, hey son.’ So it’s easy for me. It’s gonna be an adjustment for him. But we cannot be running down the court, and he’ll be like, ‘Dad! Push the ball up! Dad! I’m open! Dad, come on!’ No, you cannot do that.’
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Bronny, 19, had an uneven debut in the NBA Summer League, though his play improved over time. He averaged averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season in 25 games at Southern California. LeBron, meanwhile, continues to be one of the elite players in the NBA, coming off a season in which he put up 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game. He also was a key player in Team USA’s gold medal run during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
