Bronny James says his dream is to play in NBA, not alongside his dad

Bronny James says that his primary focus is on making it to the NBA and not necessarily on the prospect of playing alongside his father, LeBron James. At 19 years old, Bronny is aiming to be selected in the 2024 NBA draft, scheduled to start on June 26.

LeBron, 39, will be entering his 22nd NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers next term and has previously expressed a desire to share the court with his son before retiring. However, Bronny has different priorities. “I would be happy about getting to the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad. That’s not my mindset at all,” he said. “My dream has always just been to put my name out, make a name for myself and, of course, get to the NBA. I never thought about playing with my dad. But of course, he’s brought it up a couple times.”

“only draft me if you think im good enough.. and not because of my dad (LeBron)” pic.twitter.com/uWy8jjK4pe

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— Bronny (@BronnyJamesJr) May 15, 2024

Bronny also dismissed the notion that a franchise might draft him merely to entice his father to join the team. He returned to basketball nearly five months after suffering a cardiac arrest in 2023, making his college debut in December after the issue was deemed treatable. Reflecting on his return, Bronny acknowledged ongoing concerns but noted that his passion for the game surpasses his fears. “I still worry about everything that could happen,” he said, “but my love for the game overpowers everything.”