LeBron James’ once-in-a-lifetime 21st year in the NBA officially kicked off on Tuesday night.
Still, if you look for evidence of his aging process, the league’s all-time leading scorer offers almost none. He leads the team in points (21) and is tied for the lead in rebounds (8) and plus-minus (plus-7). He dished out five assists and made no turnovers.
The only thing that’s a bit lacking in his statistics is that he only played 29 minutes, but that’s by design. To keep the 38-year-old star as fresh as possible, Los Angeles plans to limit their minutes this season.
If it keeps him on the straight and narrow — he’s missed more than 20 games in each of the past two seasons — maybe it opens the door for more seasons to come. He has a player option worth $51.4 million for the 2024-25 season, but that gives him some wiggle room if he wants to extend his career on a different contract, according to Spotrac.
Like, maybe working with his son Bronny James, a freshman at USC and B/R Jonathan Wasserman’s latest 2024 mock The No. 35 pick in the draft.
However, it’s unclear whether Bronny James will enter the draft since he suffered a cardiac arrest during a practice in July. However, if he enters the draft, it could have a huge impact on LeBron’s NBA future. In fact, Joe Walden of The Athletic wrote that Bronny’s health “may be the biggest factor” affecting James’ free agency.
Walden wrote that LeBron “would like to play on the same team as his son, if possible,” and “most observers believe the Lakers will find a way to ensure that happens in Los Angeles.”
Based on James’ performance Tuesday night, it’s easy to see why.
“LeBron has been in the league for 21 years and is in transition and he’s unstoppable,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters.
James is an all-time great who has somehow maintained his greatness over his two decades in the league. He looked like Los Angeles’ best player in the opener, which is as much a testament to him as it is to Anthony Davis (17-for-17 shooting, scoreless in the second half) and Austin Reeves (11 from the field) 4, the temperature was minus 14 degrees in 31 minutes).
As good as James looks, the Lakers know he’s capable of so much more.
Just last season, he averaged 35.5 minutes per game, 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists. He has a triple-double every time he takes the floor and seems to be able to conjure up video game numbers at any time.
So, yes, Los Angeles should want to keep him — especially since Bronny, if healthy, is a strong prospect in his own right.
“A versatile James with no health red flags should draw interest due to his coveted shooting, passing IQ, defense and maturity,” Wasserman wrote in his simulation.
If Bronny’s doctor is okay, it will be interesting to watch him play on draft night. The Lakers gave up their first-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans (although New Orleans has the option to accept Los Angeles’ 2025 first-round pick) and their second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs. Los Angeles does have a second-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers, although that may not be early enough to land Bronny.
So, what happens next? Will the Lakers try to upgrade their roster to acquire Bronny? Will other teams consider drafting Bronny, both to add him to their roster and potentially lure LeBron to town?
If Los Angeles wants to keep LeBron, it should do whatever it takes to get Bronny.