LeBron has found new purpose playing with Bronny: ‘It gives you a lot of life’

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — At Lakers Media Day on Monday, it was a lot of the usual.

Anthony Davis feels underappreciated on the defensive end. D’Angelo Russell promised to be more mature. Austin Reaves preached the importance of unselfishness.

But there was one notable difference: There was a levity about LeBron James.

James was quick to smile. He even laughed multiple times. The same player who hinted at retirement ahead of last Media Day had a very different tone this time around. 

“I have a lot in the tank,” James said. “A lot.”

James, who’s entering his 22nd season and is just a few months shy of his 40th birthday, was seemingly experiencing Media Day with fresh eyes after the Lakers drafted his son, Bronny, with the 55th overall pick in the NBA Draft in June, fulfilling his dream of becoming the first active father-son duo in NBA history.

He shared his annual Media Day interview with Spectrum TV with his son. They teased each other about a recent scrimmage, when James scored on Bronny and then posted on Instagram, “good defense, better O.” Bronny quipped that his father stepped out of bounds. James laughed and said there aren’t any cameras at the practice facility that could’ve caught that angle.

They took photos together, standing side-by-side and back-to-back. They lovingly teased each other during their respective interviews with the media.

When James was asked about forbidding his son from calling him “dad” at work, he laughed and said no other rules have been imposed. “It’s not much like, ‘Hey, meet me at the table at 5 o’clock, we need to discuss work tomorrow,'” James said.

When Bronny was asked if they were going to carpool to practice, he balked. “Definitely not,” Bronny said. “… I like to stay as away as possible from that guy.”

For James, who has made it clear that his success is as intricately intertwined with his strict workout regimen as his mental health, having his son alongside him has clearly shifted his perspective on a marathon he’s been racing for more than two decades that had become old.

“It gives you a lot of life,” James said. 

That’s powerful. Perhaps more powerful than drafting a player more “talented” or “refined” with that second round pick, something some critics argued the Lakers should’ve done.

After all, even though James is considered ancient in basketball years, he’s still one of the best players in the league.

He made that clear by averaging 25.7 points in his 21st season, more than three times as many points as anyone at that stage of a career. Not to mention, he shot a career-high 41% from beyond the 3-point line, proving he can still achieve new bests when most other players his age have experienced a significant decline in their skills — or retired.

James emphasized his standing in the league during the Olympic Games in Paris, amid a who’s who of superstars. He was named MVP after leading Team USA to its fifth straight gold medal, averaging 14.2 points on 66% shooting, 8.2 assists and 6.8 rebounds during the tournament.

And instead of feeling beat down heading into this season, James said his body feels great. In fact, he credited the Olympics with helping him feel “sharper” and “more advanced,” something he said he also felt in the other years he participated in The Games in 2004, 2008 and 2012. 

It’s good news for the Lakers, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last April by the Denver Nuggets and didn’t make any significant roster moves during the offseason.

In order for the Lakers to have a chance in a very crowded Western Conference, they can’t have a James who’s wrestling with calling it quits. They need a James who gets the type of look in his eyes that he got when Team USA was trailing Serbia by 17 points in the semifinals. James went on to post the fourth triple-double in Olympic history en route to leading Team USA to a 95-91 win.

James is no longer tired. He’s not wondering whether he should walk away from it all. He’s excited — and it’s palpable. Heck, he even got a tattoo of Olympic rings near his right elbow. And shortly after Media Day, he posted videos of him and his son on Instagram, writing, “History” and adding a crown emoji.

The funny thing is, Media Day is notoriously a drag for players. They often dread the car wash of being shuffled from interview to interview and having to pose for endless photos.

How did James describe the day? “Very cool.” Those were striking words from just the second player in NBA history to reach his 22nd season, alongside Vince Carter, who had a very limited role at that stage in his career.

All things considered, James’ take on the day was deeply understandable. Just last summer, Bronny went into cardiac arrest during a workout at USC. He was in the ICU. His future was unknown. As a result, James went on to temper his comments that he wanted to play alongside his son.

But now that his dream has come true, his fire has returned. He has a new purpose. A new why.

Not only is he fresh off of winning a gold medal, but he has accomplished the one thing he wanted more than anything.

And ahead of making history alongside his son, he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by a different feeling heading into this season. 

“Just pure joy, to be honest,” he said.

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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