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NBA Legend Calls Out LeBron James for Putting Pressure on His Millionaire Son to Meet His Expectations

Published 02/07/2023, 6:30 AM EST

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NBA superstar LeBron James is still performing at the highest level at 38. James is known to spend millions to take care of his body to push it harder. This has helped him with his longevity, giving him the desire to play alongside his son in the NBA. LeBron’s oldest son, Bronny James, will finish high school this year and is expected to play college basketball for one year before declaring for the NBA draft. According to various reports, he has already received many college offers. However, it begs the question, is it too much pressure on Bronny? NBA legend Gary Payton recently gave his take.

 Gary Payton’s advice to LeBron James 

Gary Payton recently gave an online interview with TMZ Sports, where he answered many interesting questions. During the sitdown, Payton noted that he did not imagine LeBron James would beat Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s All-Time scoring record because it had stood for so long. He then applauded James’ longevity, how he takes care of his body, and how he performs at 38. The interviewer then asked the 2006 NBA champion about LeBron’s desire to play alongside his son in the NBA and what advice Payton would give to the father and son duo.

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Payton said, “I would tell LeBron let his son be who he is. Just keep supporting as a dad.” He noted the four-time NBA champion cannot judge his son with how he played at his son’s age. Payton also said that he went through something similar when his son Gary Payton II. was growing up. He added, “Don’t put pressure on him, never. Because it’s only one LeBron. It’s only gonna be one Bronny. So don’t put pressure on your son to try to be who you are.”

READ MORE – “This Kid’s Gonna Be a Problem”: LeBron James Fans Go Head over Heels as 15-Year-Old Son Bryce Seems Ready for the All-Star Dunk Contest

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The Glove then talked about the advice he used to give to his son. The Seattle SuperSonics legend said he would tell his son not to make any comparisons and try to be himself, whether in college basketball or the NBA.

Gary Payton II’s NBA journey  

Last year, Gary Payton II won the NBA title with the Golden State Warriors. Even though he is not a superstar, he was an instrumental player for the Warriors in their championship run. However, his journey to the NBA and the subsequent title took work.

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WATCH THIS STORY – At age 38, LeBron James acknowledges he’s not a normal human ‘thats my job description’

After four years of college basketball, he declared for the 2016 NBA draft and went undrafted. Then in six years, he played for a whopping eight different NBA and G-League teams. He then earned his spot with the Dubs in the 2021-22 season and won the title. Payton II currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers.

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Written by:

Bagavathi Eswaran

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Bagavathi Eswaran is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He has been playing the game of basketball for more than 20 years now and has also been following the NBA for more than 10 years. After not being able to go pro, this former college player decided to join the IT industry.
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Edited by:

Jayant Chhabra