Have you ever wondered what a team with LeBron James and his son, LeBron James Jr., would look like?
Remember when Tom Withers of the Associated Press asked LeBron James if he could play another decade last year?
At the time, this was James’ answer:
"“Yeah,” he said, laughing. “That would give me a chance to play with my son or against my son.”"
The interview, which was held in 2016, would make James’ self-given expiration date 2026. LeBron James Jr., who is in the sixth grade, would be in the high school class of 2023. He would likely be a one-and-done in college, where he already has offers from Duke University and the University of Kentucky, and be in the draft class of 2024.
So let’s paint the picture, shall we?
The year is 2024.
James Jr. has just completed his freshman year at the University of Kentucky where his father’s friend, Coach John Calipari was the head coach. However, Coach John Calipari’s contract has just expired and he now is exploring the possibility of finally coaching James and coaching his son at the same time.
LeBron James is a free agent after carefully coordinating his contract’s expiration date with his son’s inception into The Association. Years after his days with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the San Antonio Spurs, there’s only one place team left for the 8-time champion James to play with.
The Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers, who sign Calipari to a massive deal, sign James to a hefty three-year contract and draft James Jr. to be the future face of the franchise. Bryce Maximus James is only two years from entering the league himself and the Lakers are carefully monitoring the younger brother’s stock.
The Lonzo Ball-led “Ball ’til we fall” sensation has fallen by the wayside as James gets ready to be the first player in NBA history to play alongside his son. They’ll be the basketball family that’s like manna from Heaven, led by the greatest player of our time although Junior will be the leading scorer of the trio.
James, who has moved to power forward becomes deadly in the pick-and-rolls with Junior, who can play three positions but often plays point-forward, like his father. The hope is that shooting guard Bryce Maximus comes in to be the team’s full-time point guard in two seasons but in the meantime, the Lakers are trying to lead a team with Junior, James and former Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl Anthony-Towns (now 28-years-old and fresh off of his first max contract) to The Promised Land.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has already amassed 40,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists in his career. The most decorated player in NBA history, James holds 6 MVP trophies, 8 Finals and Finals MVP trophies and 20 All-Star appearances. His leadership and his ability to dominate in the post while still showing the athleticism to play on the perimeter is befuddling.
Junior, the point-forward with his father’s court vision but better ball-handling and shooting than his father ever had, averaged more than 20.0 points per game beside Booker, the team’s leading scorer.
Coached by Calipari, the James, Junior and Anthony-Towns take Laker-land to a familiar place within those three years. Three straight NBA Finals appearances, bringing James to 14 consecutive seasons in the NBA Finals with four teams.
James, inspired by his son’s arrival, leads the Lakers to a championship in both Junior and Bryce’s rookie seasons. Anthony-Towns takes over in James’ second season, playing like Tim Duncan in his prime. Meanwhile, Junior’s game begins to look a lot like Manu Ginobli’s.
As a rookie, Bryce Maximus begins to play a lot like Tony Parker in his prime. James continues to play and look like nobody but himself.
In the end, James leaves the league as a 11-time NBA champion, like Bill Russell, a player who offers a fair comparison to James because of his versatility and leadership. Not to mention James’ propensity to reach the NBA Finals year-after-year.
As he retires, James becomes the NBA’s new logo. His silhouette the infamous tomahawk slam he made so popular in his heyday.
That, I think, would be the ideal scenario for the James Gang.
Related Story: Could LeBron End Up In Los Angeles When His Contract Expires?
What do you think a team with LeBron James and LeBron James Jr. would look like? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.