The celebrity status of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has brought his family into the public eye at times during his NBA career, and now that his son Bronny has made it to the league, there has never been more attention on the James family.
The younger James’ NBA career has been met with nepotism claims, something that both he and his father have certainly heard all about. The elder James feels his son has “earned his right to be a professional athlete,” but he doesn’t seem to mind if others disagree.
Where the elder James does draw the line, however, is when people make it personal.
“The kid has earned his right to be a professional athlete,” the elder James said, via TIME. “The thing you’re not going to do is throw stones at us as a family. I’m not letting that s— slide, because I know what I’ve created because of what I didn’t have. So if you want to talk about the kid, that he shouldn’t be an NBA player, I don’t care about that. As long as you don’t get to the fatherhood piece. I don’t play those games.”
When it comes to the “fatherhood piece,” the elder James may be referencing something ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said in January of 2025. After the younger James struggled in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Smith said he was pleading with the elder James “as a father” to “stop this.”
"I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this." 😳 @stephenasmith reacts to Bronny James' play in the Lakers 118-104 loss to the 76ers. pic.twitter.com/bk5D0DS42N
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 29, 2025
That seemingly led to the elder James confronting Smith in person, which became a major story.
Damn LeBron stepped to Stephen A Smith👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/ZJIDcPU4dL
— LegendOfWinning (@LegendOfWinning) March 7, 2025
The elder James clearly cares a lot about protecting his family. He and his son have already made history in the NBA by teaming up on the Lakers, and their time as a duo could continue into next season depending on what the elder James chooses to do this offseason.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is set to hit free agency, and although there are no guarantees that he will continue his NBA career, the Lakers will be in the mix to retain him if he does return for a 24th NBA season.
The younger James, meanwhile, is still trying to establish himself in the NBA, but he seems to be making strides. He received more NBA opportunities this season than he did as a rookie, and he significantly improved his shooting percentages (going 40.9 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from deep) after struggling to be efficient as a rookie.
The James family has already left an incredible mark on the NBA, and the legacy may only continue to grow from here.
