It's interesting...I remember when MJ's kids were going into college, Jeffrey didn't have much buzz around him as he never really showed anything remotely like his dad's ability in high school, so he ended up walking on at Illinois in 2007 or 2008 and he just petered out after that...his younger brother Marcus played for UCF a year or so after and he was better but nothing special. Both were a bit smaller than MJ physically, and clearly didn't have the drive their dad did. But because social media was in its infancy there wasn't this huge focus on them like Bronny has. Plus MJ had retired nearly a decade ago, so there was some separation between his career and that of his kids. LeBum's still playing right now, and is probably still better than Bronny right now.
Another difference is that MJ didn't publicly speak about his kids making the NBA. I think Lebron is using his influence to make it easier for his kids to make it. I understand the instinct, but has he thought things through? Making the league when you clearly don't belong isn't doing anybody any good. It's Lebron's dream to play alongside his kids. I get how cool that moment would be for a dad, but ultimately I think it's going to set Bronny up for failure.
I can’t really relate to Lebron’s dream around playing with his kid. I think it’s most parents’ instinct to want something for your child - happiness, success, contentment,… rather than something that is fulfilling for you. Is it Bronny’s dream to play in the NBA with dad? I’m sure it’s possible. Some fathers-sons want to share their worlds with one another, some don’t. But that wish should come from Bronny. Coming from Lebron it feels to me like asking your child to fulfill your own dream - which is something a parent, in any context, should think twice before burdening a child with.
Well-stated.
I went into a similar line of work as my dad, but it was not the same, nor did he ever suggest it should be. He encouraged me to find my own path.
Sure, but I'm going to go out on a very sturdy limb and guess that your dad wasn't an NBA player. Important not just because most people aren't, but because it follows that almost anyone who has any interest in playing professional basketball likely wants to be a professional player in the NBA.
Now, if Bronny doesn't want to be a professional basketball player, at all, that's fine - as alluded to earlier, both of MJ's kids bailed halfway through their NCAA runs -- but the fact that the media is talking to LeBron instead of his kid is a bit of a non-issue, rather than a narrative we should care too much about.
Topic: 2024 NBA Season and Playoffs (Read 1020153 times)