LeBron James feels ‘pure joy’ as he begins Lakers training camp with son Bronny

The 20-time All-Star didn’t downplay his excitement Monday about seeing one of his few basketball dreams come true.

“There’s a lot of enthusiasm,” LeBron said. “It’s pure joy, to be honest, to be able to come to work every day, to work hard with your son every day and to be able to see him continue to grow. We push each other. He pushes me, I push him. We push our teammates. Just a very happy moment, not only for me, but for our family.

The father and son wore the Lakers’ gold uniforms together at the team’s media day, posing for countless photos and giving interviews showcasing the family’s easy banter. Bronny’s new No. 9 jersey says “JAMES JR.” on the back, as a nod to his full name, LeBron James Jr.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and his son Bronny James Jr. #9 attend a Los Angeles Lakers media day at the UCLA Health Training Center on September 30, 2024 in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Their partnership is a dream for LeBron, 39, but it has been largely surreal for Bronny, who turns 20 on Sunday. After growing up and excelling at basketball in the shadow of his famous father, Bronny balances the excitement of reaching the NBA with the task of adapting to the unprecedented challenge of wearing the same uniform as his devoted father.

“I think I’m really looking forward to training, competing,” Bronny said. “It’s such a crazy feeling to train with your dad and compete at a high level. But on the other hand, having to go against LeBron James, it’s a bit much training every day. But yeah , I’m looking forward to it too.”

They may work together, but not every day will be the day you take your son to work for LeBron: Bronny says he’s “definitely not driving” from home to Lakers practices with his dad.

“It’s already so much that we’ve been grouped together,” Bronny said with a big smile. “I’d like to stay as far away from this guy as possible.”

LeBron understands, he said with a grimace.

“To be honest, if you have kids, I mean, at my age and his age, there’s not really a lot of day-to-day interaction,” LeBron said. “He comes down, he eats, he goes to his room, plays a video game. If I’m in there with my wife watching a movie, he’ll stop. So it’s not a big deal, really. like, ‘Meet me at the table at 5 p.m. We have to discuss work tomorrow.’

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LeBron confirmed his off-season statement on his YouTube talk show that Bronny wasn’t allowed to call him “Dad” at work. Bronny isn’t so sure, although he admits he’ll try saying “Bron.”

“Whatever comes out of my mouth when I try to talk to him, that’s what he’s going to take,” Bronny said with a smile. “That doesn’t really mean much. I haven’t really talked to him yet, so we’ll see how it goes.”

New Lakers coach JJ Redick said last week he would develop a plan with the family for their historic appearance together at the start of the regular season. It is also speculated that Bronny will spend much of the upcoming season with the G League’s South Bay Lakers, improving his skills after playing sparingly in his lone college season at Southern California.

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“If we get a few opportunities on the court throughout the season, obviously it’s going to be amazing,” LeBron said. “It’ll be great. We’ll wait for that moment when it happens, and then we’ll go from there.”

LeBron has been a physical force of nature at 6-foot-9 during his NBA career, and he has realistic goals for his 6-foot-2 son.

LeBron James (right) and his son Bronny James answer questions during an interview. Photo: Maximilian Haupt/dpa (Photo by Maximilian Haupt/photo alliance via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

“Seeing him continue to grow as a basketball player, whether it’s here with us or whether it’s with the G League team, and he continues to get better,” LeBron said. “We want to hold him accountable. He’s going to hold us accountable, and if we all do that, we’ll all get better, because we’re all one team. We’re a reflection of the South Bay. The South Bay is a reflection of us. … We’ll keep growing, stacking the days. I know he’s going to do that, because that’s exactly what he does.

The rest of the Lakers had nothing but positive thoughts about the arrival of their superstar teammate’s son. Anthony Davis is proud of Bronny’s arrival after watching his growth over the past five years from a teenager to an NBA prospect.

“It’s awesome. It’s historic. It’s powerful,” Davis said. “Bronny’s locker is across from mine, so every time I walk in and see him, it’s always surreal to me that he’s on the same team as his dad. I can’t wait for they’re officially taking the field, but it’s been super awesome to watch so far.”