LeBron James on Bronny joining Lakers: ‘I can separate dad from teammate’

Before LeBron James shares the NBA court with his eldest son, Bronny, he's made one thing very clear: There won't be any preferential treatment. 

The elder James admitted his excitement about teaming up with his son but was also candid about his ability to separate being his father from being a teammate, which he detailed in an interview with Craig Melvin on TODAY.

"It’s going to work just like any one other of my teammates," LeBron James said. "I’m going to hold him accountable, and he should hold me accountable when I do things not right. I can separate dad from teammate. And, I think, as he continues to grow, and as he continues to learn, I hope he’s able to separate son from teammate, as well."

LeBron James said that, when they're on the floor, the goal is to win the game and "get better every day." While the future Hall-of-Famer admitted he'll likely hold Bronny to a higher standard, he was adamant about there not being any shortcuts for his son.

"But at the end of the day, it won’t be no shortcuts, that’s for sure," LeBron James said. "I don’t hold anybody to shortcut standard when it comes to the game of basketball and somebody being around me on a day-to-day basis."

Bronny, who was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, is playing in the summer league, but it's unknown what the outlook of his potential role in the regular season could look like. The younger James will likely spend time with the franchise's G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

Regardless of how that plan comes together, it would be surprising if the father-son duo doesn't wind up sharing the floor early in the 2024-25 NBA season, a moment that'll be historic and memorable. But one thing that's certain is that whether Bronny is with the Lakers or in the G League, there'll be no shortage of attention from fans monitoring his play.