LeBron James shuts down rumors about waiting for son Bryce to reach NBA
An NBA executive recently claimed LeBron James wants to play alongside his younger son Bryce, but the Lakers superstar quickly dismissed those rumors during Monday’s media day.
“I’m not waiting on Bryce,” James said with a smile. “I don’t know what his timeline is. He’s his own young man now. He’s down in Tucson. We’ll see what happens this year, next year. He has his own timeline, I’ve got my timeline, and I don’t know if they quite match up.”
The speculation started when an anonymous league executive told Lakers Daily that LeBron might extend his career to play with Bryce, who just started at the University of Arizona and won’t be draft-eligible until 2026.
“There are some whispers that LeBron wants to play with him too,” the executive said on September 16.
This wouldn’t be the first father-son pairing for the James family. The Lakers selected Bronny James, LeBron’s oldest son, with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA draft. Last October, they became the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history.
LeBron is about to make more history this season.
When he steps on the court against Golden State on October 21, he’ll become the first player ever to play 23 seasons in the NBA. And he’s not just hanging around – he’s still dominating.
“It’s pretty cool to know how many miles I’ve got and still be able to play at a high level,” said James, who turns 41 in December. “For me, age is kind of just a number, but it is reality, too.”
He knows his longevity is remarkable.
“You look at the history of the game, there’s not been many guys at my age, especially going into Year 23, that have been able to play at a level like that. I just try not to take it for granted.”
Last season, LeBron averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists while playing 70 games. He finished sixth in MVP voting and made the All-NBA Second Team.
The upcoming season marks LeBron’s eighth with the Lakers – now his longest continuous stint with any team. He spent his first seven seasons with Cleveland, four with Miami, and another four back in Cleveland before joining the Lakers in 2018.
LeBron isn’t going anywhere soon. He exercised his $52.62 million player option for the upcoming season as part of the two-year, $101.4 million deal he signed last July. The contract includes a no-trade clause, giving him complete control over his NBA future.
Whether that future includes playing with his second son remains to be seen.
