LeBron James has made it clear that when he and his son Bronny take the floor together for the first time in the 2024-25 NBA season, there are some rules to be followed .
Mainly, the rules center around how Bronny will address his father when the two are on the court at the same time for the Los Angeles Lakers. In an upcoming episode of "The Shop" live from Paris, the 39-year-old was asked what the dynamic will be like for the NBA legend when he plays with his son .
LeBron explained how he and Bronny already have it planned it out, with the younger James forbidden to call his father certain names when they are on the court together. However, once the game or practice is over, the two can have a familial relationship again.
"No, we already laid that, no, he can't," LeBron said when asked if Bronny was allowed or was going to call him "dad" during practices. "We already laid that down - cannot call me 'dad' in the workplace. 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 '2-3' or 'Bron' or 'GOAT' if he want to. That's up to him. I mean, it's up to him."
LeBron also added that his job is easier because he already knows what to call his son, stating: "But it's easy for me. 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. It's going to be the adjustment for him. But we cannot be running down the court and he'd be like, 'Dad, push the ball up! Dad, I'm open! Dad, come on.' No, you cannot do that."
Along with playing with his father and properly addressing him when they are on the court, Bronny will have to adjust to how the NBA is played, especially as he and his father become the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history . After spending one season at USC, the 19-year-old declared for the 2024 NBA Draft and was taken 55th overall.
In four Las Vegas Summer League appearances, Bronny averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in around 25 minutes of playing time. He also shot 35.0 percent from the field and drained three of his 19 3-point attempts, good for 15.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Still, Bronny showed improvement in his final two Summer League games against the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He appeared more in control of his game and was steadily getting the hang of the speed at the top level of basketball, even if it was summer league.
Despite how Bronny performed, LeBron made it clear his son didn't care about the outside noise . "He doesn't care. I actually care a little bit. When I came in [as a rookie], I wanted people to like me, and some of the things that people were saying about me kind of bothered me early on in my career... He doesn't give a ----," the Lakers star told reporters.
For his part, Bronny understands he will always be nervous when he steps on the floor. But he noted that once the game begins, all his worries melt away . "Every first game that I step on the next level there's always some butterflies in my stomach, but as soon as the ball tips and we go a couple times down it all goes away and I'm just playing basketball," he said. "It’s always going to be there but get through it.”
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