LeBron James has highlighted a crucial difference between him and his son Bronny — one he believes will help his new Lakers teammate make it to the NBA: ‘He doesn’t give a damn’
Bronny, LeBron’s eldest son, was selected 55th overall by Los Angeles last month.
They now become the first father-son duo to ever play in the NBA, with Bronny taking the spotlight despite only playing one year in college.
The 19-year-old isn’t expected to reach anywhere near the dizzying heights his father reached, but LeBron insists Bronny has a weapon he didn’t have when he entered the league.
“I don’t know if people really understand Bronny,” James said ESPN“He doesn’t care. I actually kind of care.”
LeBron James has highlighted a key difference between him and his son Bronny
“When I came here (as a newcomer), I wanted people to like me. Some of the things people said about me bothered me at the beginning of my career… he doesn’t give a damn.
“He doesn’t care about anybody. He doesn’t even listen to that stuff. He’s the coolest. He’s the complete opposite of his dad.
“His dad will say something (to address the critics). Bro doesn’t care… anything that’s said about him, he really doesn’t care.”
Bronny missed the Lakers’ second game of the California Classic against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night due to swelling in his knee.
But his father, who broke the billion-dollar mark during a remarkable career, paid tribute to the teenager’s resilience after reaching the NBA despite growing up amid luxury and expectations.
“I don’t know if I could have done that if the roles were reversed,” James said
“Imagine if you were a kid and you were born into a situation where your dad was super famous and super rich, but you still had that drive as a kid to achieve things for yourself,” LeBron continued.
“I don’t know personally if I could have done it if the roles were reversed. When I came up, I had no choice. I literally had no choice… I had to figure it out for myself. My mother, my family, my hometown, my city.”
Bronny’s basketball career was in jeopardy last year when he collapsed during practice and went into cardiac arrest.
LeBron added: ‘The dedication to him to have heart surgery less than a year ago, to have him play in the NBA, the kid, he’s special. But he doesn’t care. He doesn’t. He doesn’t care.’