Lebron James was busy this weekend as he played in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Championship on Dec. 9 and he watched his son Bronny’s debut at the University of Southern California on Dec. 10.
James proved that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the league after he and the Los Angeles Lakers smoked the Indiana Pacers in the final game of the newly created midseason tourney. The 38-year-old put up a 24-point 11-rebound double-double in the winner-take-all game.
Despite being outplayed by his teammate Anthony Davis, who scored a whopping 41 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, and blocked five shots, James won the first In-Season Tournament MVP title. While he added some more hardware to his cabinet and a half-a-million-dollar prize for winning the tournament, that was arguably not the highlight of James’ weekend.
The following day, King James flew back home to Southern California to attend the USC Trojans versus Long Beach State 49ers game. This game had immense importance to James and his family, as it was the first game on the court for LeBron’s son Bronny James since the shocking cardiac arrest he suffered over the summer.
During a summer practice on July 24, Bronny’s heart stopped without warning and he went into cardiac arrest. He received CPR and aid from a defibrillator before being rushed to the hospital.
After visits to other health centers like the Minnesota Mayo Clinic, the James Family Foundation made a statement, saying it was “an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect.” The family said they were “very confident” in Bronny’s recovery, with hopes he would return to the basketball court sooner than later.
Their confidence paid off as Bronny was subbed in for the Dec. 10 game. The young teen played for 17 minutes, and he had a stat line consisting of four points, three rebounds, two assists, and one block. That block in particular had fans thinking they were seeing double as it was very reminiscent of James’ well-known chasedown block from 2016.
Fans said, “The Apple did not fall too far from the tree..He plays defense like his Dad,” “JUST LIKE THE KING!!!!,” and “You just know LeBron been teaching him that one.”
You just know LeBron been teaching him that one
— Manboob Sports (@Manboob_Sports) December 10, 2023
While the Trojans ended up losing the game in overtime, James still saw it as a win for his son. In an Instagram post about the game, the proud dad wrote, “Can’t even tell y’all how emotional today was for me! I’m literally drained and all I can say is @bronny you’re simply INCREDIBLE!!”
He continued, “Damn the wins and losses that will occur. You’ve already won the ultimate goal/championship and that’s LIFE!!! Proud of you kid and today you’ve given me more life! Thank you and I love you.”
While many fans congratulated James, and could understand his pride in Bronny, others dissected a particular line in his caption. After the four-time NBA Finals Champion said “you’ve given me more life,” some fans wondered if that meant he will prolong his playing career.
James previously has expressed that his goal now is to play in the NBA with his son. With Bronny’s health recovering, and James still at the top of his game there’s a chance fans may get to see the father-son duo play together in the near future.
