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LeBron James Reveals Private Message to Bryce & Bronny James

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 3:44 PM ET

It is NBA draft season, and a year ago, after sorting through what was recognized as a fairly weak group of players at the top of the draft, the league's attention mostly turned to the the one guy who was carrying a familiar name into the proceedings: Bronny James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James. Teams allowed Bronny James to pass on to the Lakers at No. 55, where he joined his father for his debut in the league.

LeBron James' other son, Bryce James, will begin his post-prep journey this year, too, as he has signed on to play at Arizona.

In the midst of his sons' struggles to reach the league, LeBron James sent a message to them both. Of course, LeBron James was known to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft years before he even came out of high school in Akron, Ohio, but his sons are simply not nearly as talented.

Theirs will be a harder road. With that in mind, James revealed something on his "Mind of the Game" podcast with Steve Nash that he sent his sons around this time a year ago, starting with a name-that-player riddle.

"Can I read something? I am going to dig in the arhcives," James said. "I have a group chat with me, Bronny and Bryce. And from time to time I send things that just focus them back in. I sent this June 18, 2024. I will tell you who this guy is after I read this.

"Unranked in high school. Zero D-I scholarship offers. Players two years of Div. II basketball at UCCS. Transferred to Colorado. And now is an NBA champion on one of the best teams in the NBA."

It is, of course, Celtics star Derrick White.

"Hell of a player," Nash said.

"Hell of a player," James agreed. "My message to them was, everybody's road to success is different. So stay locked in and patient. That was my message to my boys last year."

This year's NBA draft will have much less anxiety involved for James. Not only are none of his progeny involved, but his team, the Lakers, have only one pick--No. 55 overall, again.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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