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• Updated Jun 10, 2026 at 9:56pm

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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks past his son, Bronny James #9, before their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on April 09, 2026 in San Francisco, 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 Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Time Magazine named LeBron James as the top athlete of the 21^st century for his accolades in the NBA. James won NBA Championships with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers to become a top three all-time NBA player at the bare minimum. Time did a special feature honoring LeBron, and he used some of that time to defend his son Bronny James.

Criticism against the Lakers for drafting Bronny has led to many questions about if he’s an NBA worthy player. LeBron said the following to Time about Bronny’s critics using their family in an insulting manner:

“The kid has earned his right to be a professional athlete. The thing you’re not going to do is throw stones at us as a family. I’m not letting that s**t slide, because I know what I’ve created because of what I didn’t have. So, if you want to talk about the kid, that he shouldn’t be an NBA player, I don’t care about that. As long as you don’t get to the fatherhood piece. I don’t play those games.”

James said he gets sick of people insulting Bronny due to their feelings about him. LeBron clearly is one of the most polarizing players, and he feels that some pundits use that as an excuse to trash Bronny.

Some Felt This Was Aimed At Stephen A Smith

The most high-profile instance of LeBron defending Bronny came against ESPN pundit Stephen A Smith. Various talking pieces from Smith criticized LeBron as a father and talked about how embarrassing it was seeing Bronny try to play during his rookie season.

James confronted Smith last year during a regular season Lakers game against the New York Knicks. LeBron felt that Smith was getting personal and using his son as a punching bag due to past conflict between the two.

This interview featured James bringing up NBA personalities who try to make things personal against his family. LeBron wanted to defend Bronny earning the right to become a professional sports athlete, especially since he showed some improvement this season in his limited bench role.

Bronny James Could Impact LeBron’s Future

The Lakers will attempt to retain LeBron this offseason, with him entering free agency along with Austin Reaves and a handful of other teammates. Rumors indicate the Lakers hope to convince to have LeBron take less money, while James is reportedly expecting another big deal.

Only teams with limited money, like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, have been linked to LeBron. Bronny playing for the Lakers could be enough for LeBron to take a smaller deal for the chance of getting to retire playing with his son.

Timing is also great for Bronny to get more playing time as a reserve guard off the bench. Head coach JJ Redick used Bronny in a more consistent role with better results. LeBron and Bronny playing more together while Luka Doncic rests could be quite realistic. No other ideal teams offering big money and Bronny on the Lakers give them a great chance to retain him.