29 March 2023 , 18:00
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LeBron James has been warned that his retirement plans might not go the way he had planned after the emergence of his son, Bronny James.
Bronny, 18, performed at a strong level in Tuesday night's McDonald's High-School All-Star game, featuring the best players in their final year before going to college or playing professionally in the G-League or overseas. The 18-year-old is a star player for Sierra Canyon and is seen as one of the best guards in the country.
Bronny scored 15 points in the game, all coming from behind the three-point arc as he showed his abilities as a reliable shooter, both coming off the dribble and as a spot up. James is also seen as a high-level defensive player for his age, drawing comparisons to Marcus Smart.
It is not yet known whether LeBron 's eldest son will go to college or play professionally, but either way, he is now expected to be a first-round draft pick once he becomes eligible in 2024.
And that's a development that LeBron will be hugely proud of - to see his son make huge leaps in his game this year - but one that could hamper his retirement plans.
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Now aged 38, James knows he might not have too many years left in him, but has insisted he wants to play alongside Bronny before he retires. But ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst has suggested that might now be difficult. He said: "It's a paradox - the better Bronny gets, the harder it will be for him to play with LeBron. If he does become a mid first-round pick, it will be more difficult.
Bronny James speaking with his father LeBron (Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)"Any team can acquire a second-round pick to get Bronny, and the player could even convince teams to not draft him, and sign with the Lakers.
"LeBron has set up his contract so that he becomes available the same time Bronny enters the draft (2024), so he could technically just go wherever Bronny goes, but that will be tough on the Lakers."
As Windhorst stated, James can opt out of the last year of his current deal with the Lakers and make himself an unrestricted free agent in the 2024 offseason.
This would then allow the legendary forward to sign with any team - including the one that drafts Bronny. The teenager has reportedly narrowed his decision down to three schools if he does indeed go to college: Ohio State, USC, and Oregon.