LeBron James has no problems with letting his tween and teen sons sip wine at the dinner table with their parents. And he’s got a simple reason why.
After practice with the Los Angeles Lakers at the team’s training facility on Tuesday, Oct. 9, James dished on how his two sons can handle indulging in an alcoholic beverage during supper.
“I got very mature 14- and 11-year-olds. My 14 and 11-year-olds drink wine,” he told reporters. “Yeah, that’s how mature they are.
“They’ll be driving next week too,” he joked.
As for if oldest son LeBron James Jr. and younger son Bryce James prefer red or white vino, the athlete said they have “whatever dad’s and mom’s having. Put it on me, though. Don’t put it on Mom [wife Savannah James]. Put it on Dad, put it on Dad.”
The remarks have generated lots of buzz online.
Several slammed the Lakers star for allowing his young sons to consume alcohol.
“The earlier a child is exposed to alcohol the more likely they are to abuse it later in life. A child does not need alcohol to be mature, nor does an adult. And don’t give me the French excuse either. This is absolutely ridiculous.”
“What could possibly go wrong? CPS would probably be interested in hearing this. He must want his kids to be alcoholics by age 18. @KingJames.”
“Giving alcohol to an 11-year-old sounds like great parenting. Laughing it off like it’s no big deal is even worse! 🙄”
Mothers Against Drunk Driving also spoke out against James letting his sons drink underage.
“We still have a long way to go to educate parents about dangers of underage drinking. Early age drinking is assoc w/dev of alcohol use disorder later in life+alcohol can alter brain dev that continues well into 20s. Many reasons to support 21 drinking age!” the nonprofit tweeted.
Still, not everyone thought it was a major issue.
“I’m sure they don’t get drunk. In countries, like Italy & France, Al kids drink wine.”
“Plenty if cultures allow young people to drink mild spirits. The moral hang up with alcohol use is an American phenomena.”
“He’s the parent so it’s his decision.”
https://twitter.com/MyNBAUpdate/status/1049783571932561409
