Bryce James may be tipping his hand about some family business.
Bryce, the middle child of LeBron James, appeared on an Instagram Live broadcast this week after his older brother Bronny was drafted by the Lakers (giving LeBron and Bronny the opportunity to play together in the NBA as the first-ever father-son duo). During the broadcast, Bryce got a question from a commenter about whether he thought that LeBron would also be sticking around in the NBA long enough to play with him.
“Waiting until I [get drafted]? Nah, it’s too much,” replied Bryce. “That’s too much. No. Good luck … He gonna be 42, bro.”
Here is the video.
Bryce James on if he thinks LeBron would wait for him to get drafted before retiring.
“That’s OD… No. He’s gonna be 42 bro.”
(via @LADEig)pic.twitter.com/vjqTJPgCtO
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 29, 2024
Bryce is a 17-year-old shooting guard who is listed at 6-foot-6 and has many thinking that he will be a better player than Bronny (which is not that far-fetched considering some of the highlights Bryce has already produced). An incoming high school senior, Bryce will be draft-eligible in two years (2026).
If Bryce does not think that his father LeBron will still be in the league by then, that may be a pretty big hint about LeBron’s plans. The four-time NBA champion LeBron is an unrestricted free agent this offseason who has a few interesting scenarios on the table. But it sounds like LeBron’s new contract could just be for two years before he calls it quits and retires.
Now that LeBron’s long-running dream of being on the same NBA team as Bronny has been fulfilled, it is worth noting that LeBron once hinted at an interest in doing so with Bryce too. But LeBron will indeed be pushing 42 years old at that point (staring at a potential 24th NBA season), and Bryce just does not see it happening.
