Video: Lakers' LeBron James Says He Knew Bronny Was 'Special' Player at Age 5

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has known for a long time his son Bronny was destined for a career in basketball.

During the Lakers' media day, LeBron recounted watching Bronny play against other kids when he was five or six years old. In that moment, the four-time MVP knew his son was "special" based on how natural he looked at such a young age:

Anybody with experience working around youth sports will tell you there are many parents who are convinced their child is destined for stardom.

Being a second- or third-generation athlete offers no guarantees, either, and if anything it might make it harder for a young athlete because the burden of expectation is so much larger.

Bronny James is a polarizing player in that he undoubtedly gets more attention because of his family name. The Lakers' decision to select him with the 55th overall pick and give him a rookie contract is also impossible to totally separate from the fact LeBron expressed multiple times in the past he wanted to team up with his oldest son in the NBA.

But centering everything around the father-son dynamic with LeBron and Bronny overlooks how the 19-year-old was carving out his own path on the hardcourt before a medical episode derailed his freshman year at USC.

The younger James was the No. 22 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 class, and he had entered into the first-round conversation for the 2024 NBA draft as a senior in high school. At a certain point, the talent speaks for itself.

By simply getting to this point, Bronny has achieved what a lot of hoopers only dream of. He doesn't have to match or exceed LeBron's résumé to have fulfilled his dad's prophecy. One could argue he's done that already.