There are people who feel that LeBron James has coddled his son Bronny through his basketball journey and opened door for his son to be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers despite some vocal objections throughout the basketball world about the way Bronny has been elevated due to his father’s influence.
In any event, say what you will about how LeBron James positions his son, LBJ does draw a line with how his son Bronny will address him when they are in practice or making history on the court together.
Will Bronny Call Lebron Dad During Practices and Games?
“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. … Bronny cannot call me Dad in the workplace. …Once we leave out the practice facility and the gates close, I could be dad again and in the car if we ride together, at home I could be Dad.”
“He got to call me, like, ‘2-3′ or ‘Bron,’” James said. “Or you know, ‘GOAT,’ if he want to. It’s up to him.”
LeBron James says Bronny can’t call him Dad in the workplace:
Do you think Bronny wants to call his pops “GOAT?” If Dad is too much, then GOAT is just downright creepy. Bronny has made it clear that he wants to be recognized for his own accomplishments, but as long as Bron is commanding the ship, people will consider Bronny as riding King James’ coattails.
Bronny James, who was selected by the Lakers in the second round of the NBA draft earlier this year after spending a season at USC, is aware of all of these things. Despite his fortune, the criticism, negative energy and pressure he often faces are simultaneously a heavy weight to carry that others can’t appreciate.
While he isn’t projected to be a significant contributor to the team, the Lakers are likely to find playing time for him to make Lebron and Bronny the first father-son teammates in NBA history.
LeBron says Bronny James can call him anything but “Dad” when they are in practice and on the court together this upcoming NBA season with the Lakers. (Getty Images)
The tone of this very conversation suggests that Bronny will be a part of the Lakers’ roster, practicing and traveling with the team, and the moment everyone has been waiting for – when a father and son take an NBA court for the first time in history – will probably be sooner than later in the season.
But when that happens, don’t expect Bronny to be yelling out the word “Dad” on the court.
Some have described LeBron’s widely perceived manipulation of the L.A .Lakers head coaching job and the draft as shameful, but even a father who makes no bones about using his influence to position his son for high achievement wants no parts of that in a working environment.
“We cannot be running down the court, and he be like ‘Dad, push the ball up! Dad, I’m open! Dad, come on!’” James said. “You cannot do that.”
Bron Bron, Pops, Or King?
On ESPN’s “First Take,” Stephen A. Smith, Molly Qerim and Chris Mad Dog Russo threw around some potential names that Bronny could call his dad on the court, including “Bron Bron.” “Pops” and “King.”
Then Russo downplayed the significance of the conversation by asking, “How many times throughout the course of the year is Bronny going to be on the court with his father in a big spot?”
To which Smith replied, “Very rarely.”
Will Bronny Be Splitting Time Between Lakers and G League?
LeBron, who turns 40 in December, reached an agreement with the Lakers in July on a two-year, $104 million contract, so the feat would be achieved within the next two seasons at the latest. Bronny reportedly is expected to spend a significant amount of time next season in the G League, the NBA’s minor league developmental system.
The NBA has never dealt with a father-son duo on the court, and these are the things that fans want to know and the reason why the Lakers have already decided to use a roster spot on Bronny and milk history, permanently interlocking themselves as a significant part of the LeBron James journey that started in Cleveland and then exploded in Miami, returned to Cleveland to do the impossible and then brought championship success back to L.A. for the first time in a decade.
Bronny James Already A Celebrity
Bronny is also a celebrity in his own right, with millions of followers in addition to the benefits of his father’s looming legacy. He’s a hot commodity on the singles market and seems to be locking in with current girlfriend Parker Whitfield.
Social Update: Bronny James Raves Over Parker Whitfield's Instagram Pic, 'She So Pretty'. Bronny James couldn't help but show love under Parker Whitfield's new social media post on Sunday … dropping a flirty comment in the replies… https://t.co/22D6eKqmwA#tmz#theartsanduspic.twitter.com/tsSvDVI95I
Two weeks after being spotted with his rumored girlfriend at the Paris Olympics, the 19-year-old second-round pick of the Lakers left a flattering comment under one of Whitfield’s recent Instagram posts.
“She’s so Pretty,” the young prince said.
Parker is the daughter of actress-director Salli Richardson-Whitfield and actor Dondré T. Whitfield. Richardson-Whitfield starred in films such as “A Low Down Dirty Shame” and “I Am Legend” and made appearances in TV series such as “House” and “Criminal Minds.”
Dondré has been nominated for three Emmy awards and starred in numerous projects, including “Queen Sugar,” “Eureka,” “All My Children,” and “Beauty Shop.”
Stay tuned and locked in on The James Gang show coming to L.A. in a few months.
