LeBron James has highlighted a crucial difference between himself and his son Bronny, one he believes will help his new Lakers teammate succeed in the NBA: “He doesn’t give a shit.”
LeBron’s eldest son, Bronny, was selected by Los Angeles with the 55th overall pick in the draft last month.
They are now the first father-son duo to play in the NBA, with Bronny stepping into the spotlight despite having played just one year in college.
The 19-year-old isn’t expected to reach the dizzying heights achieved by his father, but LeBron insists Bronny has a weapon he lacked when he entered the league.
“I don’t know if people really understand Bronny,” James said. ESPN“He doesn’t care. I actually care a little.”
LeBron James has highlighted a crucial difference between himself and his son Bronny
“When I came in (as a rookie), I wanted people to like me and some of the things people said about me bothered me early in my career… he doesn’t give a shit.
“He doesn’t care about anyone. He doesn’t even listen to that stuff. He’s the coolest guy. He’s the complete opposite of his father.
“His father will say something (to respond to the criticism). Bro doesn’t care… everything that is 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 after suffering swelling in his knee.
But his father, who broke the billion-dollar barrier 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 had been reversed,” James said.
“Imagine you were a kid and you were born into a situation where your dad was super famous, super rich and you, the kid, still had the drive to want to achieve things for yourself,” LeBron continued.
“Personally, I don’t know if I would have been able to do that if the roles were reversed. When I was growing up, I had no choice. I literally had no choice… I had to figure out how to do it for myself. My mom, my family, my hometown, my city.”
Bronny’s basketball career was thrown into doubt last year when he collapsed during practice and suffered cardiac arrest.
LeBron added: “The commitment that he’s coming out of heart surgery less than a year ago, that he can be in the NBA, the kid, is special. But he doesn’t care. He’s not worried about it. He’s not bothered by it.”
