LeBron James Says Son and Teammate Bronny Can’t Call Him ‘Dad’ on the Court

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 07: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts with Bronny James after scoring to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar's career total of 38,387 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on February 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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LeBron shared some alternative nicknames his son can use when they share the court this NBA season.

LeBron James is making it known that while on the court, he is just a teammate to his son Bronny—not “dad.”

In a teaser for a new episode of Uninterrupted’s The Shop podcast, the 39-year-old NBA veteran and Lakers star shared that when his 19-year-old rookie son takes the court for the first time with the Los Angeles Lakers this season, calling him by his parental title will be strictly off-limits.

After being asked, “What’s your working relationship? Is he going to call you ‘dad’ at practice, in the locker room?” LeBron responded quickly, saying they had already discussed how things would go between them.

“No, he can’t. Cannot call me ‘dad’ in the workplace. Once we leave out the private facility and the gates close, I could be ‘dad’ again—in the car if we ride together, at home I could be ‘dad.'”

Instead, LeBron suggested alternative nicknames: “He got to call me ‘2-3’ or ‘Bron’ or ‘G-O-A-T’ if he wants to; it’s up to him.”

“It’s easy for me because I’ve been calling him ‘Bronny’ for so long,” James continued. “It’s not like I’ve been, ‘Hey son, hey son.’ So it’s easy for me. It’s gonna be an adjustment for him. But we cannot be running down the court, and he’ll be like, ‘Dad! Push the ball up! Dad! I’m open! Dad, come on!’ No, you cannot do that.”

After the Lakers selected LeBron’s firstborn with their second-round pick in this year’s draft, the duo has been set to make history as the first father-and-son pair to play in a regular-season game together.

The father of three has long expressed his desire to share the court with his son before retiring. In an interview with Craig Melvin that aired on Today on July 8, LeBron called Bronny signing with the Lakers “the greatest accomplishment that I’ve ever had.”

LeBron praised his son for having “done it all as an individual” and added, “There’s no greater accomplishment that will be able to overtake me being on the same floor as my son.”

“It’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened,” LeBron concluded.

Bronny—who suffered a cardiac arrest during a workout in July 2023—had an uneven debut in the NBA Summer League, though his play improved over time. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists last season in 25 games at USC, where he started just six games.

The upcoming NBA season, starting on Oct. 22 will be LeBron’s 21st in the league.

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