There have been times when it feels like LeBron James could actually tear down a backboard. You can see the grunt develop on his face right before he goes for his signature tomahawk. However, his son, Bronny James, just revealed a secret story. The Akron Hammer actually broke a backboard, but not due to his ferocious dunks. It was because a loss always stings.

Bronny, who was with the Lakers for their game against the Brooklyn Nets, spoke about the incident. Notably, he mentioned James “broke a backboard at our house in Miami” the last time the father-son duo played one-on-one. An intently listening Austin Reaves asked the obvious question.

“It was ‘cause you won?” Reaves pondered. The 21-year-old agreed, prompting Reaves to encourage the young Lakers guard to flex.

We haven’t heard about the family battles so far. But it’s not a surprise to hear about LeBron James’ reaction. The four-time NBA champion despises losing. That doesn’t change whether it’s him losing an NBA game or losing a one-on-one game against his own son. A loss will remain a loss.

The surprising part is probably James losing his cool over a game of one-on-one. He’s famously said that putting one player against another doesn’t benefit a player’s development. LeBron James is even tired of the concept becoming a scale to measure a player’s offensive capabilities.

In a podcast appearance, James said, “What the f–k is this? This is not [Michael] Jordan vs. [Larry] Bird Nintendo. It’s five-on-five, and yes, if you have an opportunity to have a favorable matchup and you can beat your man, but realize something. Most great teams are going to send help, and can you make the right reads?… Some guys don’t wanna learn and won’t learn because they just wanna play ones”.

Even then, LeBron James doesn’t like the feeling of being defeated. Whether it’s relevant to the game or not doesn’t really matter.

LeBron James and Bronny James have another father-son moment

It was historic when LeBron and Bronny James took the court together for the first time. It had never been done in an NBA game before. But against the Nets, they actually functioned as teammates. The Akron Hammer found his son on a good look, which Bronny James converted to register his first and only three-pointer of the night.

Once again, this was the first time in NBA history that a father-son connection took place. “Definitely a cool moment for us and also for our family,” LeBron James said about the sequence. However, more than the actual assist, he’s enjoying Bronny James’ rise within the Lakers’ pecking order.

“Not taking it for granted …. That’s two games back-to-back playing meaningful minutes and him, also, making another play… Just getting back to where it was before the incident. He’s always been able to shoot the ball,” he said about Bronny James.

And it can’t be denied. The 21-year-old has worked his way to regain confidence. Bronny James has been smashing it in the G-League, averaging 14.8 points and shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc. That output saw him earn JJ Redick’s trust. He’s used James over the last two games as a supplementary player to the injured Marcus Smart.

Although he hasn’t carved out a consistent place in the rotations, Bronny James appears to be in a better place. He trusts his skillset again and could add tremendous value as a 3-and-D disruptor for the Lakers. The process has only just started, though. The 21-year-old has a long way to go.

But Bronny James is completely immersed in becoming the best version of himself. That mindset is the key reason behind his recent success.