EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) 鈥� LeBron James is beginning his 22nd training camp this week with the Los Angeles Lakers, and this one will be a unique experience.
The NBA's career scoring leader is sharing a locker room and a court with Bronny James, his 19-year-old son and . They'll soon become to play together, fulfilling an aspiration first expressed by LeBron several years ago.
The 20-time All-Star didn't downplay his excitement Monday to see one of his few remaining basketball dreams coming true.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of excitement,鈥� LeBron said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pure joy, to be honest, to be able to come to work every day, put in the hard work with your son every day and be able to see him continue to grow. We push each other. He pushes me, I push him. We push our teammates. Just a very joyous moment, not only for myself, but for our family.鈥�
Father and son wore the Lakers' gold uniforms together at the team's media day, posing for innumerable photos and giving interviews that showcased the easy banter of family. Bronny's new No. 9 jersey reads 鈥淛AMES JR.鈥� on the back, in a nod to his full name, LeBron James Jr.
Their partnership is a dream for the 39-year-old LeBron, but it's been largely surreal for Bronny, who turns 20 on Sunday. After growing up and excelling at basketball in his famous father's shadow, Bronny is balancing the excitement of reaching the NBA with the task of adjustment to the unprecedented challenge of being in the same uniform as his devoted father.
鈥淚 think I鈥檓 most looking forward to practice, just going head to head with each other,鈥� Bronny said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 such a crazy feeling, to be in practice with your dad and competing at a high level. But on the other side of that, having to go against LeBron James is kind of a lot in practice every day. But yeah, I'm looking forward to it as well.鈥�
They might be working together, but every day will not be Take-Your-Son-to-Work Day for LeBron: Bronny says he is 鈥渄efinitely not鈥� driving from their home to Lakers practices with his father.
鈥淚t鈥檚 already so much that we鈥檝e been grouped together as,鈥� Bronny said with a big grin. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to stay as (far) away as possible from that guy.鈥�
LeBron gets it, he said with a grimace.
鈥淭o be honest, if you have kids, I mean, at my age and his age, there鈥檚 not really much interaction going on on a day-to-day basis,鈥� LeBron said. 鈥淗e comes down, he eats, he goes to his room, plays a video game. If I鈥檓 down there with my wife watching a movie, he鈥檒l stop in. So it鈥檚 not much, like, 鈥楳eet me at the table at 5 o鈥檆lock. We need to discuss work tomorrow.鈥� That doesn鈥檛 happen."
LeBron affirmed his offseason declaration on his YouTube talk show that Bronny isn鈥檛 allowed to call him 鈥淒ad鈥� at work. Bronny isn鈥檛 so sure, although he admits he鈥檒l try to say 鈥淏ron.鈥�
鈥淲hatever comes out of my mouth when I鈥檓 trying to speak to him is what he鈥檚 going to accept,鈥� Bronny said with a grin. 鈥淒oesn鈥檛 really mean much. I haven鈥檛 really addressed him in any way yet, so we鈥檒l see how it goes.鈥�
New Lakers coach JJ Redick said last week that he'll make a plan with the family for their historic appearance together early in the regular season. It's also assumed that Bronny will spend much of the upcoming season with the South Bay Lakers of the G League, improving his skills after he played sparingly in his only college season at Southern California.
鈥淚f we get a couple of opportunities on the floor throughout the course of the season, obviously that鈥檚 going to be amazing,鈥� LeBron said. 鈥淚t will be awesome. We鈥檒l wait for that moment when it happens, and then go from there.鈥�
LeBron has been a 6-foot-9 physical force of nature during his NBA career, and he has realistic goals for his 6-foot-2 son.
鈥淪eeing him continue to grow as a basketball player, no matter if it鈥檚 here with us or if it鈥檚 down with the G League team, and him continuing to get better and better,鈥� LeBron said. 鈥淲e want to hold him accountable. He鈥檚 going to hold us accountable, and if we all do that, we鈥檒l all get better, because we鈥檙e all one team. We are a reflection of the South Bay. The South Bay is a reflection of us. ... We鈥檒l continue to grow, stacking days. I know he鈥檚 going to do that, because that鈥檚 just what he鈥檚 about.鈥�
The rest of the Lakers had only positive thoughts about the arrival of their superstar teammate's son. Anthony Davis takes his own measure of pride in Bronny's arrival after watching his growth over the past half-decade from a teenager to an NBA prospect.
鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome. It鈥檚 historic. It鈥檚 powerful,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淏ronny鈥檚 locker is across from mine, so every time I walk in and see it, it鈥檚 still surreal for me that he鈥檚 on the same team as his dad. I can鈥檛 wait until they step on the floor and officially make history, but it鈥檚 been super-dope to watch so far.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Greg Beacham, The Associated Press
