By Rock Westfall
Ironically, College football’s perpetual drama continued this week with NBA icon LeBron James. James wants to end his NBA career playing alongside his son Bronny. Like Colorado coach Deion Sanders, he is likely to stop at nothing and pull powerful, well-connected strings to get his way.
LeBron James Dream of Playing Alongside His Son
Few athletes are more polarizing than LeBron James. As this space has noted, the more sports value athletes provide, the less accountable they can seem to be. LeBron is the case study of this privilege.
For the past two years, James has openly stated his desire to play his final NBA days with his son Bronny. That would be fine as long as Bronny was an NBA-ready player. Instead, he was a bench player on a losing USC Trojans team in 2023-24.
Along the way, James has made several X-posts about playing with Bronny. He has also voiced the desire to own an NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas. Despite James’ omnipotent power in basketball circles, NBA scouts scoff at the thought of Bronny James being an NBA-ready player, at least this draft cycle. When ESPN removed Bronny from its 2024 NBA Mock Draft, a petulant James fired off posts that revealed just how indulged and removed from reality he can be.
James’ power and influence include his relationship with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. In his dealings with Silver, James wags the dog. For example, James was a key force in the summer of 2020 when the NBA went into a full blitz for cultural and political issues at its games held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Disney World. NBA TV ratings and prestige suffered. But LeBron James did not. He never does.
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Accordingly, LeBron James is used to doing and getting whatever he wants without consequence. And when he doesn’t, he’ll lash out in a pampered sort of way, as his X-posts (often later deleted) have indicated.
In that, he has much in common with Deion Sanders.
Prime Paradox
Next door to LeBron James in Daddy Ball is Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. Of course, Deion’s son Shedeur is the starting QB for the Buffs and a potential first-round NFL Draft pick. While very talented, Shedeur Sanders appears to be an entitled chip off the old block. He can flash Rolex watches on enemy football fields and can blow off the opening spring football team meeting for Louis Vuitton photo shoots with his brother and teammate Shilo Sanders in Paris without any repercussions from dad. Not that Shedeur is a malicious young man; he’s just spoiled and enabled by his father, who should know better, having been a part of football culture nearly all of his life.
Similar to LeBron James, Coach Prime has stated his opposition to his son playing for a cold-weather NFL franchise. This demand ignores the success of cold-weather NFL QB aces such as Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Patrick Mahomes, among others.
But, like James, Deion Sanders is used to getting his way.
🏈 Will Deion Sanders force a teams hands if his son is drafted to a cold weather NFL Team 👀 #coloradobuffaloes #nfl #deionsanders #sheduersanders pic.twitter.com/ROT5WopK8G
— Fresh Perspectives M (@FPMVideo) March 17, 2024
To Dad or Not to Dad? – That is the Question
Should LeBron James and Deion Sanders overplay their privilege and influence? Or should they stay out of it and allow their sons to develop their own identities and independence? In a battle of two indulged egomaniacs, there are good cases for these two little league dads getting heavily involved as well as butting out.
On the one hand, Bronny and Shedeur will have the advantage of the powerful connections that their fathers have in their respective sports. As former superstar pros, LeBron James and Deion Sanders know what to seek and what to avoid. And they have powerful connections with the main leaders of their sports and the sponsors of those leagues. They can certainly influence the futures of their sons in ways that regular dads cannot.
Many feel there is a case study on how to dad in the NFL, but that’s a bit of a myth. Archie Manning looked after his sons Peyton and Eli, not to mention helping pick the University of Texas for his grandson Arch. But he also dictated to the NFL where Eli would play, refusing to go to the San Diego Chargers and forcing their hand to deal him to the NY Giants. So if Archie is revered but played that hand, are LeBron and Deion that bad? That’s the emerging question.
On the other hand, Bronny and Shedeur would do well to have the freedom to break away from their fathers and establish their credentials. Someday, they will be forced to do so anyway. They can’t come off as pampered and privileged athletes with powerful connections and advantages that their future teammates would not have. There would be significant locker room repercussions.
Perhaps LeBron James and Coach Prime should call Archie Manning for advice on how to thread the needle. Or perhaps they shouldn’t
