The Los Angeles Lakers may have had a quiet summer, since they have essentially kept the same roster that only advanced to the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Nonetheless, the Lakers can be proud of their success in the 2024 NBA Draft. Not only did they sign one of the finest players in college basketball last season, Dalton Knecht, but they also selected Bronny James with the 55th overall choice, much to the joy of his father, LeBron James.
Regardless of claims of nepotism, LeBron’s ability to play on the same NBA roster as his firstborn kid is undeniably impressive. But there are concerns about how a father-son teammate dynamic would work in the locker room. We’ve seen a father-son relationship between coach and player before, but for them to be almost equals in the locker room? That will be an intriguing subplot to keep an eye on.
Nonetheless, LeBron James will not give preferential treatment to his son. In fact, the Lakers star wants Bronny to be able to confront him and hold him accountable, just like any other teammate.
“It’s going to work just like any other one of my teammates,” James told Craig Melvin on TODAY. “I will hold him accountable, and he should hold me accountable when I do things incorrectly. I can tell the difference between my father and my teammates. And I hope that as he grows and learns, he will be able to distinguish between son and teammate.
Of course, this is the ideal scenario; yet, as much as LeBron James would like it to be, Bronny will find it impossible to perceive him as anything other than his father. However, this may be a moot argument in the end, as Bronny is unlikely to spend much time in the Lakers locker room during his rookie season.
