LeBron James Offers 6-Figure Job to Bronny James After Lakers Confirmed His NBA Future

Bronny James entered the basketball realm with a massive burden of expectations. Though the 20-year-old didn’t have the buzz that his father generated in high school, he is still seen as the heir to King James’ throne.

Bronny and LeBron made history together when they became the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA, but other than that moment, it has been a steep learning curve for Bronny, whose place in the NBA has been questioned a few times. Yet, he is making his own way and continues to slog, even when he doesn’t need to, according to his father.

LeBron was already a national phenomenon before he graduated from high school. He St. Vincent-St. Mary to three state titles in four years and was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and other magazines.

He went straight to the NBA when the Cleveland Cavaliers made him the No.1 overall pick in the 2003 draft and has more than lived up to his potential. Bronny, on the other hand, faced a different set of expectations.

LeBron was a guest on Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast and talked about how his son is embracing the spotlight.

After being picked by the Lakers in the second round of last year’s draft, he has oscillated between the NBA and G-League, playing for the South Bay Lakers.

He has drawn scrutiny over his NBA move but continues to keep his head down and perform.

Speaking on the podcast he said, “Bronny doesn’t have to play basketball at all. It’s not like he needs the money. He can do whatever he wants to do. Like, if he wants to be the CEO of my company, he could be that. I’ll start teaching him right now to be that if he wants to. But he’s like, ‘This is my career. [These are] my goals and … aspirations and I want to play ball. This is something I love.’”

So far he has appeared in nine NBA games for the Lakers, totaling just four points, three assists, and one rebound in 22 minutes. But it is in the G-League where he is shining much better.

Playing for the NBA franchise’s affiliate, Bronny has averaged 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 26.9 minutes per contest over nine games.

Sure, it might have been easy for Bronny to pocket a six-figure check by staying within many of his father’s ventures, but he is looking to prove his worth and LeBron couldn’t be more proud.

Bronny was a consensus four-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American at Chatsworth Sierra Canyon High.

However, much of the media attention directed to him was because of his parentage and the possibility of him sharing the court with his father one day.

He suffered a cardiac arrest while at USC but recovered to make his Trojans debut on December 10, 2023.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end, Travis Kelce was also full of praise for Bronny saying, “He’s handled the hype and the scrutiny and everything so perfect.” LeBron was in agreement saying that his son had even more attention on him than he did at his age.

“I didn’t have to deal with the social media trolls growing up,” James said. “And I didn’t have to deal with my father being this f*****g guy on the pedestal. Bronny has to deal with all of that. And if you ever meet Bronny, you’ll be like, ‘I’m such an idiot to look down on him or not want him to do great.’ 

The Lakers selected Bronny James with the 55th pick in the 2024 draft, and on opening night, he and LeBron James became the first father-son duo to share an NBA floor. But his move to the Lakers hasn’t been without facing criticism over alleged preferential treatment and his talents.

Only recently, Skip Bayless mentioned on his show that he doesn’t see “LeBron James Jr. as an NBA player, now or maybe ever.”

He called out Bronny’s passive approach to the game saying, “He rarely initiates, rarely attacks.” Earlier, Bronny and the Lakers also came under fire after the franchise restricted him from playing in road games in the G-League, though they later reversed their decision.

Despite all the wave of attention and criticism coming his way, Bronny is minding his own business. According to Lebron, “He is the most chill, easy, fun kid in the world. He goes to work, he goes home, he takes care of his boy, he plays his video games, he reads a little bit and then he comes back and does the same. And he’s like the best big brother his little brother or little sister could ever have….But he’s dealing with all that too, but I think that’s going to make him be even greater.”

Meanwhile, JJ Reddick recalled Bronny from the G-League to the Lakers squad and he featured in their defeat to the Mavericks on January 7.

However, he has had to sit out the team’s last two games due to an illness. He still remains without a concrete timeline to return.

Still, there is time for him to feature again this season, which means LeBron will continue to live out his dream of playing with his son. But do you know when did the King first realized this was a possibility?

When did LeBron James realize he could play with his Bronny James?

The first time the Akron Hammer thought he could extend his career long enough to share the court with his son, it might have seemed like a far-fetched dream.

In addition, Bronny’s cardiac arrest further complicated issues. However, it also made him cherish the moments he gets to share with the Lakers rookie.

But the realization came long before any of it happened when Bronny was around 14 years old. During his conversation with the NFL duo, LeBron James recalled the moment.

“I think Bronny was either in the 7th or 8th grade and it was my 15th year in the NBA and I felt incredible… I played every playoff game, I think I played 105 games total that year. And I came out of that season, I felt so damn good. And I think somebody caught me like ‘Do you think it’s a possibility that you may stick around and play with one of your kids?’. I was like man the way I feel right now, there is a possibility,” LeBron James explained.

Now, they stand as teammates and even though Bronny James has a long road of development in front of him, James savors these times.

He gets to go to work with his son and they may make more history before James calls it a day.