Editor’s note: The following article is a column, and the views expressed represent only the author’s personal views.read more Opinion On Glio.
Father Time is undefeated. Nothing can change that and no one can stop it. In the end, all he does is win, win, win.
But he’ll have to fight the long game with LeBron James.
James, 38, isn’t showing many signs of slowing down as he heads into his 21st NBA season. He started Tuesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets with 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Although this is different from last season’s age-reversing performance of 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, it is close enough.
He may not be the greatest player of all time, but not even Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Fill-in-the-blank were that great. Size, speed and strength are all bizarre superpowers for James, but his endurance and perseverance are equally astonishing.
The old man at the club is now the oldest player in the league and he behaves badly towards the youngsters who have watched him grow up. “He’s still here and making us look bad in practice,” Lakers guard Austin Reaves told The Associated Press. Reeves was only 5 years old when James was in his rookie season.
Bronny James is a newborn baby.
LeBron has publicly expressed his desire to play with his oldest son, theoretically as soon as next year. Bronny is a freshman for the USC Trojans and will be eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft. The projected first-round pick underwent surgery after suffering a cardiac arrest during a practice in July but has yet to return to practice. But he’s fully involved and showed off some moves during last week’s Midnight Madness game at USC.
I don’t have a son, my father died when I was four weeks old, so this relationship is foreign to me. But based on what I know about parenting in general, there’s no question that LeBron would be proud to be on the same court as Bronny. While there have been many father-son duos competing in the league, LeBron Bronny will be the first to compete simultaneously.
According to a new ad from Beats by Dre called “Kings and Vikings,” that might not be enough to satisfy LeBron.
The ad portrays doubters as motivators for LeBron and Manchester City soccer star Erling Haaland, who received inspiring pep talks from his family. Savannah James encourages her husband to continue challenging beliefs about aging and proving time and time again that he is unbeatable. Then she drops a nugget at 1:30 – “Tell them you’re not done until you’re playing with your son before you do it again” – with a photo of Bryce James in the final line interrupt.
LeBron’s youngest son, Bryce, is 16 years old and has a mid-level three-star rating. The earliest he can turn pro is 2026. LeBron would have turned 43 that season! Based on his workload – and the work he’s put into his body – it’s easy to imagine him sticking around until then, even if it’s a step slower and a step lower.
But I have doubts.
Ultimately, would he be willing to come off the bench, something Jordan was never forced to endure? Would LeBron play for any team that signed his son, regardless of how those teams truly felt about the kid? Do Bronny and Bryce really want to play NBA basketball with their dad? Because their father might limit their playing style?
If LeBron can come off the bench, he could fill a valuable role for a championship contender. Combine his marketing appeal with the spectacle of a father-son pairing, and some teams will sign the youngster regardless of his potential.
LeBron has the option to become a free agent next summer, giving him the ability to sign wherever Bronny might land — should he come out. Bronny’s health issues may lead to a delay, but the Lakers are not believed to be receptive to LeBron’s plan. I certainly can’t blame them because they’re in Hollywood and all that.
The Lakers value their star players’ box-office prowess as much as their basketball prowess.
You have to wonder how Bronny would react playing with LeBron (no pressure, right). That worked out well for Hall of Fame centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who spent two seasons (1990 and 1991) with his father with the Seattle Mariners, making them the U.S. Major League Baseball’s first father-son teammates. Senior is a great player by any measure, and Junior is ranked 13th on the all-time list.
Few players have surpassed LeBron on the court, and his sons have almost no chance of doing so. But it would be cool to see one of the boys wearing an old man’s clothes. The clock is ticking.
LeBron will wait.
Brooklyn-based Deron Snyder is an award-winning columnist who lives near Washington, D.C., and is committed to HU-You Know! He reaches high, lies low, moves on, pushes away, follows up, throws down. knew?Get more information blackdoorventures.com/deron.
TheGrio is available for free on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. return, Please download the Grio mobile app today!