When LeBron James continued to dominate the NBA well into his late 30s, everyone began to think about the possibility of him playing alongside his oldest son, Bronny. The elder James had made it clear that it was his ultimate dream, and Bronny had developed into a top-ranked high school player, so it seemed like a realistic possibility.
In 2024, the dream became a reality, as Bronny was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, playing last season alongside his father.
Now, with LeBron James planning to return for his 23rd season, still playing at an elite level, everyone is starting to wonder the same thing: Will he stick around to play with his younger son, Bryce?
The 40-year-old father recently spoke about the possibility of that happening, saying it would be “insane” to play alongside Bryce in a few years.
James didn’t rule it out, but he also didn’t declare it as a goal like he did when Bronny was on his way to the league. The NBA veteran instead talked about being near the end of his career, but not knowing exactly when the finish line will arrive.
"At this point of my career, you think about when the end is. That’s human nature. You think: Is it this year? Or next year? Those thoughts always creep into your mind at this point of the journey. But I have not given it a specific timetable, date. I’m seeing how my body and family reacts, too."
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James says it would be "insane" to play alongside youngest son, Bryce
Bryce James recently turned 18 years old on June 14, and is signed to attend and play basketball for the University of Arizona next season. That means he won’t be eligible to be drafted into the NBA until 2026. That would be LeBron’s 24th season, a season where he will turn 42 years old.
Coming off a 2024-25 season where he played in 70 games, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds, James will likely still be capable of playing at a high level when the 2026-27 season arrives. However, it will still take a bit of a perfect storm for him to play alongside Bryce.
The elder James will have to still want to play in the NBA, and the younger James will have to be ready to jump to the league after one season of college. LeBron isn’t thinking that far ahead, so everyone will have to wait and see how it plays out.