LeBron James Candidly Shares How He’d Feel If Bronny Didn’t Want to Play With Him in NBA

LeBron James has been adamant this entire NBA season that he plans to stay in the league at least long enough to play with his son Bronny James, who will be a freshman at USC in the fall.

However, during the Lakers’ Western Conference finals series vs. the Nuggets this past week, James seemed more open to the idea of not playing with Bronny in the future.

“I’ve done what I’ve had to do in this league, and my son is going to take his journey,” James said after Game 3, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “And whatever his journey, however his journey lays out, he’s going to do what’s best for him. And as his dad, and his mom, Savannah, and his brother and sister, we’re going to support him in whatever he decides to do. So, just because that’s my aspiration or my goal, doesn’t mean it’s his. And I’m absolutely O.K. with that.”

James has been one of the biggest supporters of his oldest son throughout his entire basketball career, from posting his high school highlight reels to posting heartfelt messages after his commitment to USC. Based on his most recent answer, it sounds like the elder James will support his son in whatever decision he wants to make about his future in basketball. 

The Nuggets swept the Lakers on Monday night, and the four-time NBA champion offered a cryptic answer about his own future in the league, which has since fueled retirement speculation. It now seems possible that James, 38, could retire before his Bronny even has a chance to make it into the NBA.