When LeBron James moved from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, many questioned why the world’s best player would join a team that had missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons. After several reports saying it was partly because of how they handled final seasons of Kobe Bryant’s career, Bron addressed the speculation, delivering a strong message to the media.
The primary source of this information came from Ramona Shelburne, who reported the details in an ESPN article: “Part of the reason James came to the Lakers as a free agent in 2018 is the standard of care they showed during the final seasons of Bryant’s career a decade ago, sources said. James liked playing for an iconic franchise as much as he liked how it treated its iconic players.”
The news quickly gained traction, eventually reaching LeBron himself. After the preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Bron firmly denied the rumors, putting an end to the speculation surrounding his decision.
🧢(Cap, lies). I came to the Lakers cause I wanted to help Jeanie (Buss) win championships, bring that Spark back to the Lakers and see my family blossom in SoCal. Why would I make a decision on how someone else is treated. Mama always said “Stay out of grown folks business. 🤷🏾♂️,” wrote the Lakers star quoting a tweet.
LeBron James #23 looks on as his son Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the first half of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Acrisure Arena on October 04, 2024 in Palm Springs, California.
The Lakers loss on Friday night against Timberwolves 124-107, and even though LeBron didn’t see any minutes, we got to see him very actively on social. He also praised Napheesa Collier after the Minnesota Lynx’s victory against the Connecticut Sun: “FACTS!!! She’s a BEAST! Game so damn smooth and complete! TOUGH,” he also tweeted.
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LeBron’s reaction to Bronny’s debut with Lakers
We got to see a James on the pitch: it wasn’t LeBron, it was his son, Bronny. One of the standout moments came when the rookie scored his first basket in the league — a left-handed layup with just 56 seconds remaining in the game. Fans erupted in celebration, but his father, who was sitting on the bench and didn’t play, showed no noticeable reaction to his son’s achievement.
In addition to LeBron, Anthony Davis also didn’t see any action in the game against the Timberwolves. The Lakers will face the Phoenix Suns in their second NBA preseason game next Sunday, where fans may finally get a chance to see the highly anticipated father-son duo in action.
