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By Dave McMenamin, ESPN staff writer
LAS VEGAS — LeBron James says his eldest son, Bronny James, who was drafted 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers last month and became his teammate, is especially prepared to handle the intense scrutiny that's already begun to be leveled at him.
“I don't know if guys really understand Bronny,” James told ESPN during a wide-ranging interview after USA Basketball's practice Sunday in preparation for the Paris Olympics. “He doesn't care. I actually do care a little bit. [as a rookie]I wanted people to like me and early in my career some of the things people were saying about me bothered me quite a bit. … He doesn't care at all.
“He doesn't care about anybody. He doesn't listen to any of that stuff. He's super cool. The complete opposite of his dad. His dad would say something. [to address the critics]He doesn't care. … All the things that are being said about him, he really doesn't care.”
LeBron, the NBA's all-time leading scorer and who amassed a net worth of more than $1 billion during his 21-year playing career, said Bronny never let all that success affect who he is as a person.
“Imagine if you were a kid whose dad was super famous and super rich and you still had the drive to make something of yourself,” LeBron continued. “If the roles were reversed, I don't know personally if I would have been able to do it…”
“When I was growing up, I didn't have a choice. Literally no choice. … I had to make the decision for myself. My mom, my family, my hometown, my city. Bronny had all the options in the world. If Bronny wanted to quit basketball right now, never play basketball again, want to be a gamer, want to be a chef, want to be nothing, he could have done that. … People don't understand how hard it is and how hard it took him to come back from heart surgery in less than a year and play in the NBA. He's a special kid.
“But he doesn't care. He doesn't care. He doesn't care.”
LeBron is no stranger to criticism, with some in recent months slamming him for his influence over the Lakers' drafting of Bronny and the hiring of former “Mind the Game” podcast co-host JJ Redick as their next coach.
“I'm not involved in coaching hires, but I'm excited about the hire of J.J.,” LeBron said. “I'm excited to work with Coach. [Nate] MacMillan. We haven't worked together since the Olympics. [in 2008]Working with a coach for the first time [Scott] “Brooks, I'm looking forward to it. So I'm excited. That's what this summer has been about as far as the Lakers go.”
LeBron signed a two-year contract extension with the Lakers over the weekend, which includes a player option for the second year.
He signed a contract below the maximum amount for the first time since 2010, giving up about $3 million to help Los Angeles avoid the second apron and the salary cap restrictions that come with it. Why would he agree to a lower amount after being named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2023-24 and appearing in his 20th consecutive All-Star Game?
“We are in a relationship and everyone knows relationships. [knows that] “It's all about committing,” LeBron told ESPN, “and doing something that works for both sides. So we've been working together for seven years. That's what it's all about.”
LeBron's agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told ESPN that his client is willing to sign for even less to free up the Lakers' $12.9 mid-level exception that they could use to sign “impact players.” Players who fit that criteria include Klay Thompson, James Harden, Jonas Valanciunas and DeMar DeRozan, sources told ESPN.
LA couldn't land either one.
“It takes two to tango,” LeBron told ESPN about the Lakers' failure. “Our front office, our coaching staff, they tried to do what they wanted to do, they tried to bring players to the team, and it just didn't work out. And that's OK. That's part of the business. I've been in this business a long time, and I know sometimes it's like that, sometimes it's not.”
“So, we're not gonna lie here and cry. We're going to move forward and Klay's a great player. Obviously DeMar's a great player. Valanciunas was one of the guys that ended up going to Washington and was someone that was in negotiations with us. But we're going to move forward and see how we get even better.”
“I'm looking forward to coming back in the fall.”
He'll be joining a roster that looks much the same as the one that lost in five games to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, but LeBron said he believes they can win another title before his tenure in Los Angeles is over.
“Absolutely,” LeBron told ESPN when asked about the possibility of the Lakers contending for a championship again while he's still with the team. “Because we've done it before. We've done it before and we have two guys with me and AD that are committed to excellence every day. We're committed to excellence, we're committed to winning, and I feel like no matter what the situation is, no matter what year it is, we can put ourselves in a position to be successful. And we're not that far off.”
“We were a year removed from the Western Conference Finals. Obviously, this year hasn't gone as well as last year. It hasn't gone as well as we would have liked, but we're not that far off.”
“There are so many teams in the league and I don't think we're too far behind in the West.”
The question remains as to how far into retirement James is, as he turns 40 in December. If he completes the contract he just signed, he will have played 23 seasons in the league, breaking Vince Carter's all-time record of 22.
“That is to say, [the last contract I will ever sign]”I'm not going to sit here and say, 'Oh, maybe not.' Yes, it's possible. Easily. But we'll see what happens,” LeBron told ESPN.
