Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James says the prospect of playing with his eldest son Bronny has given him “a lot of life”.
James is entering a record-tying 22nd season in the NBA and is poised to make history by taking the court with Bronny, 19, who was drafted by the Lakers with the 55th pick in June.
The 39-year-old enters the season having helped Team USA win gold at the Olympics in Paris over the summer.
But he has extra motivation this year, saying he’s reinvigorated by playing alongside one of his children.
“It’s a lot of excitement, pure joy, to be able to come to work every day, work with your son every day and be able to watch him continue to grow,” James said at the Lakers’ media day.
“We push each other. He pushes me. I push him. We push our teammates, and vice versa.
“So it’s just a very joyful moment not only for myself, but for our family. So it’s pretty amazing. Gives you a lot of life.”
James, who turns 40 in December, also talked about how playing with NBA peers like Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry at the Olympics helped revitalize him.
“When you’re with 11 other incredible, great talents, some of the best talent we’ve ever seen, it gives you a lot of joy to be able to play the game, play it at a high level,” he said.
“For myself individually, going out there at my age, the miles that I have, and being able to play at the level that I played at, that gave me like, ‘Okay, I’ve got a lot in the tank, a lot, and I can help a large part of a team to win the ultimate.
“It feels damn good to play meaningful basketball at the highest level.
“So to have that feeling again where you’re playing meaningful basketball, every possession means something — if you make a mistake, it burns you. That was good to relive that moment.”
The NBA season begins on October 22, with the Lakers in action against the Minnesota Timberwolves after champions the Boston Celtics face the New York Knicks.
