LeBron, Bronny never discussed plan to play together in NBA

When LeBron James declared his intent to suit up alongside his son Bronny for his final NBA season, it turns out the two never spoke about such a plan before the four-time Finals MVP's announcement during All-Star Weekend in February.

"We don't even really talk about the future too much," James told Sports Illustrated's Chris Ballard in an exclusive interview. "I put it in the air because I like to talk to the basketball gods out there and see if things can come to fruition.

"I've always set out goals in my career, talked to the basketball gods, and they've listened to all of them. Hopefully, they can listen to this last one, too."

While Bronny was unaware of his father's goal before the news went public, the Sierra Canyon guard said the idea is "pretty cool."

LeBron's announcement also caught his wife Savannah off guard, but she said she always knew Bronny and Bryce's NBA dreams were "near and dear" to the Los Angeles Lakers superstar's heart.

Stephen Curry and Domantas Sabonis are just a few of the second-generation players scattered across the league. However, no father-son pairing has played together in the Association.

James is looking to change that, and he's been open about turning down more money if it meant joining Bronny for one campaign. He also didn't rule out waiting for Bryce to make the NBA before walking away from the game.

"I'd definitely be looking at who got first-round picks in 2024, 2025, things of that nature; 2026, '27. I pay attention to that type of stuff," James said.

"I feel like I could play for quite a while," the Akron, Ohio, native added. "So it's all up to my body, but more importantly, my mind. If my mind can stay sharp and fresh and motivated, then the sky's not even a limit for me. I can go beyond that. But we shall see."

LeBron signed a two-year, $97.1-million contract extension with the Lakers early in August, and he can become an unrestricted free agent in two years if he declines his $50.4-million player option for the 2024-25 campaign.

Bronny enters his senior year with Sierra Canyon as the 35th overall prospect on the ESPN 100 for 2023. He's expected to be the lead horse for the Blazers and can enter the NBA draft as soon as 2024.

Meanwhile, Bryce won't be draft-eligible until 2026. He recently received his first Division I scholarship offer from Duquesne.