LeBron James and his son Bronny James have already set some ground rules for their upcoming season together on the Los Angeles Lakers.
The father and son duo will begin their first training camp together soon, and that begs the question, how will Bronny address LeBron on the court?
Well, according to LeBron, it won’t be “Dad.”
“No, he can’t (call me Dad),” LeBron said on an upcoming episode of “The Shop” on Uninterrupted. “Cannot call me ‘Dad’ in the workplace. Once we leave out of the private facility and the gates close, I can be ‘Dad’ again.
Thankfully for Bronny, LeBron already has some alternative names he says his son can address him by.
“At home I can be ‘Dad,'” LeBron said. “No, he got to call me, like, ‘2-3’ or ‘Bron.’ Or, you know, ‘G.O.A.T.’ if he want to. It’s up to him.”
Lots of options for Bronny, and it sounds like he better use them, because if LeBron hears “Dad” on the basketball floor, it sounds like he’s going to have an issue with it.
“We cannot be running down the court and he’d be like, ‘Dad, I’m open. Dad, come on,'” LeBron said. “No, you cannot do that.”
There is no guarantee that Bronny and LeBron actually suit up in a regular-season game for the Lakers this season. But if they do, they will become the first father-son duo to play in the league at the same time, and they will do it on the same team.
Bronny made his debut for the Lakers organization in the 2024 NBA Summer League, averaging 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and one assist over four games. He also showed some flashes on the defensive end.
Meanwhile, 39-year-old LeBron is headed into his 22nd NBA season, and showed last season he’s still one of the premier players in the league when he averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in the regular season.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how the Lakers manage Bronny in his first season with the team, with a lot still up in the air.
However, one thing appears to be cut and dry. He better not call LeBron “Dad” on the court.