Bronny James says he has “never thought” about the prospect of playing on the same team as his father LeBron and is solely focused on making it to the NBA.
James, 19, is hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps by being selected in the 2024 NBA draft, which starts on 26 June.
LeBron, 39, will be entering his 22nd NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers next term and he’s previously stated he would like to play alongside his son before he retires.
But Bronny, who suffered a cardiac arrest in 2023, just wants to fulfil his dream of making it in the NBA.
“I would be happy about getting to the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad. That’s not my mindset at all,” Bronny James said.
“My dream has always just been to put my name out, make a name for myself and, of course, get to the NBA. I never thought about playing with my dad. But of course, he’s brought it up a couple times.”
The teenager also dismissed claims a franchise could select him in the draft just in an attempt to lure his father to the same team.
James returned to basketball nearly five months after his cardiac arrest, making his college debut in December after the issue was deemed treatable.
After he was cleared to play again, he said he still worries about “everything that could happen” but that his love for the game “overpowers” his fears.