LeBron James has always been known for his incredible talent on the basketball court, and it seems that his son, Bronny James, is following in his footsteps both in terms of skill and attitude. Recently, LeBron spoke about how Bronny deals with critics and haters, saying that his son simply doesn’t care what they have to say.
This revelation comes as no surprise to those who have been following Bronny’s burgeoning basketball career. Despite being just a high school student, Bronny has already faced a significant amount of scrutiny and criticism, largely because he is the son of one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
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But rather than letting the negativity get to him, Bronny has shown a remarkable level of maturity and resilience. He has remained focused on honing his skills and improving his game, all while maintaining a positive attitude.
“I don’t know if people really understand Bronny,” James told ESPN as part of a wide-ranging interview after USA Basketball practice Sunday in preparation for the Paris Olympics. “He doesn’t care. I actually care a little bit. When I came in [as a rookie], I wanted people to like me, and some of the things that people were saying about me kind of bothered me early on in my career. … He doesn’t give a f—.
“He does not care about nobody. He doesn’t even listen to that stuff. He’s like the coolest. He’s like the complete opposite of his dad. His dad will say something [to address the critics]. Bro does not care. … Everything that’s being said about him, he really does not care.”
LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer who has amassed a net worth north of $1 billion over the course of his 21-year playing career, said his 19-year-old son has not let all that success affect who he is as a person.
“Just imagine if you were a kid, you were born into a situation where your dad was super famous, super wealthy and you the kid still had the drive to want to be able to accomplish things for yourself,” James, 39, said. “I personally don’t know if I would’ve been able to do that if the roles were reversed.
“When I was coming up, I had no choice. I literally had no choice. … I had to make it out for me. My mom, my family, my hometown, my city. Bronny has all the choices in the world. If Bronny wants to stop right now or never played basketball or just wanted to be a gamer or wanted to be a chef or wanted to be nothing to whatever, he could have done that. … People don’t understand how hard that is and the commitment for him to be coming out of heart surgery less than a year ago, for him to be able to be in the NBA, the kid, he’s special.”
“But he doesn’t care. He doesn’t,” James continued. “It doesn’t bother him.”
The elder James is no stranger to criticism, either, with disparagement in recent months being aimed at his supposed influence on the Lakers’ drafting of his son and the hiring of his former “Mind the Game” podcast co-host, JJ Redick, as their next head coach.
“I’m not involved in the coaching hiring, but I’m excited about JJ,” he said. “I’m excited about working with coach [Nate] McMillan. I haven’t worked with him since the Olympic run [in 2008]. First time working with coach [Scott] Brooks, looking forward to that. So, I’m excited about that. That’s been the extent of it all this summer as far as the Lakers.”
James signed a two-year extension with the Lakers over the weekend, including a player option for the second season.
Ultimately, LeBron’s words serve as a reminder that success is not determined by the opinions of others, but rather by one’s own resilience, determination, and self-belief. And if Bronny’s attitude is any indication, he’s well on his way to carving out his own path and making a name for himself in the world of basketball.
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