When the Lakers lost to the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals a year ago, LeBron James hinted that he was considering retirement. That came as a surprise to many, not because a 38-year-old considering retirement is shocking, but because James has made very clear in recent years that one of his last remaining goals (beyond trying to win more rings) is to play with his son, Bronny.
The question is when, and where, that would be a possibility. Bronny will be eligible for the NBA Draft next June, but is rehabbing after going into cardiac arrest while working out at USC this summer with the goal of joining the Trojans lineup this season. That would mean James needs to make it at least two more years to have that chance (with the added difficulty of getting Bronny to his team in the Draft), but after another offseason to get his body and mind back in tune for another season, LeBron seems to have his sights set on more than just making it to when Bronny comes into the league.
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In a new Beats ad featuring James and Manchester City star Erling Haaland, the two listen to messages from very important people in their lives. For Haaland, it’s his father, while James listens to a message from his wife Savannah hyping him up for another season in the NBA.
In it, there’s a line that piqued the interest of plenty of NBA fans, as she said: “Tell them you’re not done until you play with your son,” with a cut to Bronny, “and then do that again,” with a cut to Bryce James. The campaign was created by award-winning agency Translation and scored by Grammy Award-winning composer Om’Mas Keith.
Bryce is a rising junior in high school this season, currently a 3-star on the 247 Composite, but has steadily seen his prospects rise as he’s grown into a 6’4 frame. To have a chance to play with both of his sons, LeBron would need to make it to at least the 2026-27 season when Bryce could be eligible after one year of college, which would make LeBron 41 (going on 42 during the season). That’s a long time to play in the NBA, but if anyone is going to do it and still play at a high enough level to make it work, you’d bet on it being LeBron.
