KING’S RANSOM LeBron James facing pivotal 2024 for basketball legacy with son Bronny holding the key to his NBA future

Perhaps 2024-25 is about Bronny for LeBron – and, by extension, adding to his legacy in ways other than the NBA title race

LEBRON James has a few major decisions to make in what’s promising to be a busy 2024.

As the four-time champion continues his never-ending pursuit of greatness, son Bronny appears increasingly likely to determine the direction the NBA great’s finale-bound career will soon take.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James can enter free agency as his son Bronny becomes NBA draft-eligible in 202 Credit: Reuters

LeBron has made it clear he would love to play alongside Bronny before retiring Credit: Getty

Time and time again, LeBron – who turned 39 on Saturday – has said he’s not interested in playing for anything less than a championship as his time in the league is coming to an end.

“Playing basketball just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA anymore,” he said after a loss early in 2022-23.

But the Los Angeles Lakers star has come up with another major goal, declaring himself ready to do whatever it takes to spend at least one NBA season as Bronny’s teammate.

The Akron native has said the University of Southern California star will have the final say on whether or not to team up with his dad.

However, he doesn’t hide that his dream is to make history as the first father to share the court with his son in the NBA, following in the footsteps of the Griffeys from the 1990 MLB season.

“I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing,” James told ESPN in January. “That would be ideal for sure.”

How exactly LeBron wants to navigate his NBA swansong with those two huge wishes in mind has ramifications not just for the James family but the Lakers and the Association in general.

One of the unknowns was resolved in early December when Bronny made his debut for the Trojans, officially returning to competitive basketball after suffering a cardiac arrest in July.

Thankfully back on the hardwood – and fairly early into the college season, no less – the 6-foot-4 guard again seems on course to join the NBA rookie class of 2024.

Bronny, presumably a first-round pick, has long been expected to be a package deal with dad LeBron during next year’s draft.

And James Sr. opened the door for that to become reality, inking a two-year, $99 million contract extension with the Lakers last year, which includes a player option for the 2024-25 NBA season.

It allows the 6-foot-9 forward to become a free agent and sign with any team next summer, giving him the freedom to follow Bronny to whichever team selects him.

And it’s not unimaginable that it won’t be Los Angeles, particularly if the Purple and Gold don’t turn things around in 2023-24.

If LeBron decides to leave, several NBA teams should have enough money, talent, and trade assets to build a championship contender.

Those include Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers, Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs, and the rebuilding Houston Rockets.

Also, another Cleveland Cavaliers homecoming can never be ruled out, particularly as James Sr. would be returning to where it all started for him with the Young King by his side.

It’d be the type of eye-catching, nostalgia-filled story LeBron has liked to craft over the course of his career.

The Lakers star’s interest in playing at the 2024 Olympics can suggest that that kind of symbolic, individual success is what he is after now rather than winning another championship ring.

LeBron skipped the Games in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo as he prioritized rest, which he increasingly needed to compete for the NBA title in his 30s.

But all of a sudden, the 19-time All-Star is interested in Olympic glory again, just as his son is likely headed to the Association.

Perhaps 2024-25 is just about Bronny for LeBron – and, by extension, adding to his legacy in ways other than partaking in the cutthroat NBA title race.

An Olympic triumph would see James Sr. join Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony as the only athletes with three gold medals in basketball.

Notably, that would give him one more Olympic gold than Michael Jordan has.

One way or another, a fascinating year seems to be in the cards for LeBron – an action-packed 12 months that could prove to be pivotal for the NBA icon’s legacy.

https://www.the-sun.com/sport/9927175/lebron-james-basketball-legacy-bronny-nba-future/