LeBron James said that he feels 'regret' about the name he chose for Bronny

On October 6, 2004, LeBron James and his then-girlfriend Savannah welcomed their first child, a baby boy named LeBron Raymone James Jr. As one can see, that name was clearly inspired by his famous NBA father. Interestingly, this decision would later cause some mixed feelings for "King James."

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar shared these thoughts in July 2018 while filming the first episode of his HBO TV series, "The Shop." During a chat about family with comedian Jon Stewart, Bron opened up and said, "I still regret giving my 14-year-old my name."

LeBron's family bliss

One might think that James, one of the most successful athletes ever, has few to no regrets. This seems true as the four-time NBA champ has not only dominated on the court since being drafted in 2003 but also appears to enjoy a happy life off it.

The Ohio native married his high school sweetheart, Savannah, in 2013, and they've grown their family with two more children: a second son, Bryce, born in 2007, and their only daughter, Zhuri, born in 2014. The James family often gives fans a peek into their family life through social media.

However, as LBJ himself revealed, the naming situation of his firstborn, who came to be known as "Bronny," was a source of concern for him. The 20-time All-Star's decision to give his son this name has more complex origins than it might seem at first glance.

"When I was younger, I didn't have a dad," he remarked. "So my whole thing was when I have a kid, not only is he gonna be a junior, I'm gonna do everything that this man didn't do. They're gonna experience things that I didn't experience."

Can the "cool" Bronny handle the pressure?

During that episode of "The Shop," comedian Stewart had asked about the scrutiny LeBron's basketball-playing sons face due to his NBA legacy, which "King James" acknowledged. The now 39-year-old then admitted that, at least for Bronny, his actions were partly to blame, realizing that a child with such a famous name faces even greater attention while trying to make their own way in the sport.

Nevertheless, there's a silver lining to consider. James Jr., having been in the spotlight practically since birth, might have developed effective strategies to handle such scrutiny—something that LBJ has mentioned before.

"He (Bronny) doesn't even listen to that stuff. He's like the coolest. He's like the complete opposite of his dad," the four-time MVP remarked. "Everything that's being said about him, he really does not care."

If true, this resilience would now be more crucial than ever as James's son faces intense NBA scrutiny. The 20-year-old's selection by the Lakers in the last Draft was widely seen as nepotism, which was reinforced by his underwhelming performance in preseason, summer league, and six official NBA appearances.

Recently, even more backlash followed—particularly from Charles Barkley—when the Purple and Gold decided that the 6'2" shooting guard would play only home games for their G-League team.