Parents know the drill. When your child makes a mistake, you have to be there with a helping hand. To show them the way, to correct the error.
But what if that lesson takes place on live television in front of millions of global viewers during the NBA playoffs?
Well, that’s what happened Saturday night when NBA legend LeBron James took the court with his son, second-year player Bronny, to face the Houston Rockets.
The two were in the game together during a stretch in the second quarter. At one point, Bronny tried to make an entry pass to his dad on the right wing. But Jr. misfired and the ball bounced out of bounds—Houston possession.
As father and son ran back up the court, LeBron had a few words for Bronny. Something to the effect of: Do better, son. We can’t afford to turn it over. Something similar happened a few plays later and you can see LeBron tell Bronny to try a “bounce pass” instead of a lob.
But it’s not the mistakes by the young guard or the lessons by his veteran father that impressed me the most. It’s that the moment took place at all.
On Saturday, the duo became the first father and son to play in an NBA playoff game together. That’s astonishing. And they did it for the same team—the L.A. Lakers.
For LeBron, who is 20 years older than Bronny, the moment marked perhaps the most significant of his decorated career, which includes being the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.
“I was on the floor with my son in a playoff game,” LeBron said after Saturday’s 107-98 win, in which he tallied a double-double. “That’s probably the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me in my career. It was just so cool to be out there with him.”
Not only that, but Bronny’s brother Bryce, sister Zhuri, mother and grandmother were all in attendance for Game One of the Houston-L.A. series to watch. “That’s just insane. My mom gets to watch her son and her grandson during the playoffs,” LeBron said.
At a time when so many NBA athletes are chasing a trophy, trying to earn their place in NBA lore, LeBron is talking about family in his postgame press conferences.
As a parent myself, I know how important being a father is. I wouldn’t trade a single second of it for anything in the world. I’ve seen what it’s like watch my kids grow up into young adults, prepared to step out in the world and make their own way.
It’s thrilling and it’s gut-wrenching.
But on the flipside, like so many, I also know what it can feel like to lose sight of what’s most important. We all know what it can be like to push for personal or professional games. It’s only natural. And yet, what is it all worth if you don’t keep your family at the core?
On Saturday, LeBron reminded us that success means nothing if you forget that and go it alone.
Indeed, as the four-time MVP continues to break individual records—from accumulating the most points and assists in NBA history to playing in the most playoff games ever—LeBron is also proving that the final level of success is all about family.
“For a father, it means everything,” James said earlier in the year when he and Bronny became the first dad-son duo record an assist together against the Brooklyn Nets.
The four-time champ continued, “To be able to have that influence on your kids and have that influence on your son, [to] be able to have moments with your son — and the ultimate, to be able to work with your son — that’s one of the greatest things that a father could ever hope for or wish for.”
As a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated, and 13-time New York Times Best-Selling author, Don Yaeger is one of America’s most provocative thought leaders. From walking into Afghanistan with the Mujahadeen to living with football legend Walter Payton, Don has spent three decades embedded with the world’s greatest "Greats." Now a sought-after executive coach and host of the Corporate Competitor Podcast, he translates the lessons of sports and business legends into actionable strategies for building a culture of greatness.
