LeBron James has openly talked about for years how much he wanted his oldest son, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., to play with him on an NBA team. While it felt like a pipe dream for years, he ended up getting what he wanted at the 2024 NBA Draft when Bronny was drafted with the 55th pick in the second round.
This immediately caused basketball fans everywhere to wonder what their working relationship would be like on and off the court. Would James call Bronny “son” in practice, or would Bronny call LeBron “dad” on the court? It’s what everyone wanted to know.
On Tuesday, in a clip that gave a preview of Uninterrupted’s latest episode of “The Shop” live from Paris, James finally answers this question.
“He cannot call me ‘dad’ in the workplace,” he said. “Once we leave out of the private facility and the gates close, I can be ‘dad’ again. In the car, if we ride together, at home I could be ‘dad.’ No, he gotta call me like, ‘2-3’ or ‘Bron’ or ‘G.O.A.T’ if he wants to. It’s up to him.”
He adds, “It’s easy for me because I’ve been calling him ‘Bronny’ for so long. It’s not like I’ve been calling him, ‘Hey son! Hey son!’ So it’s easy for me and it’s going to be an adjustment for him. We cannot be running down the court and he be like ‘Dad, push the ball up! Dad, I’m open!’ No, you cannot do that.”
Watch the clip below:
Despite the lightheartedness of this clip, there are still many people who are not happy with the position James put his son in: Detractors argue that the Lakers drafting Bronny was a bad idea and an obvious example of nepotism.
But others argue that there are several other examples of nepotism in the NBA and other professional leagues and that we shouldn’t get mad when a Black player leverages his power and influence to help his son get a position.
Either way, whether he wants it or not, all eyes will be on Bronny this upcoming season to see how he performs and adjusts to the NBA game.