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Lebron James‘ son, Bronny, could play alongside his father in 2023 but only if an antiquated rule is repealed first.
While the NBA held its 75th All-Star Game ceremony over the past weekend, comments made by Lebron James had the internet going nuts.
When speaking of his son Bronny, James told The Athletic, “My last year will be played with my son.” He continued, “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
Apparently determined to own every NBA record, Lebron James wants to be the first Father/Son combo to play in the NBA at the same time. Let alone the same team.
Lebron James’ son will be readier than most.
Lebron James’ son, Bronny James, is currently a high school junior at Sierra Canyon School in California. If Bronny follows a traditional, one-and-done college prospect path, the earliest he can play in the NBA would be the 2024-25 season.
However, that could be about to change in a major way. League commissioner Adam Silver said in 2019 that he planned on eliminating the one-and-done rule in the future. Many other professional sports do not have a “one-and-done” rule, which mandates their athletes attend college for one year prior to entry into the said sport. At the time, Silver said he and the NBPA needed to work out the details, and that the change was years away.
Well, years have passed and now that LeBron has publicly made his intentions known, it’s not farfetched to see the league moving this issue up the priority list. LeBron James is no ordinary player, he wields his power and influence better than most and there is no doubt that whenever Lebron James’ son Bronny enters the league, LeBron will be right by his side. The only question is when?
Is the ‘one-and-done’ rule racist?
As first reported by USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, the league has proposed to the NBPA that the eligibility rule be changed by the 2022 NBA Draft. The change would restore the legal right of 18-year-old players like Lebron James’ son to declare for the NBA draft out of high school.
NBA titans like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and of course LeBron James bypassed college then went on to have great success in their careers straight from the prom. Their success wasn’t guaranteed, but they proved if given the opportunity, a child can play a man’s game. Bronny James will soon have the opportunity to prove himself under the watchful eye of his Pops, who is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time.
I’m not clear how one and done is racist? Because it helps college programs who provide a vital role to the league by preparing players who are not instant superstars for the NBA? The original idea was to give kids a year to become more emotionally prepared for life. Not all are as inherently savvy as Kobe or LeBron. How is this a racist rule?