“I still regret giving him my name”: LeBron James opens up about the pressure his children face as he reflects on fatherhood

LeBron James, the former Los Angeles Lakers’ star player, might be an NBA legend but at home, he has been a dedicated and a protective father to his three children. While there has been a lot of negative speculation about his oldest son, Bronny James, LeBron James has always defended him.LeBron James reflects on the pressure his children face as he opens up about fatherhoodA few years ago, in an episode of The Shop, the NBA legend said, “I still regret giving [Bronny] my name because of [basketball expectations]”.The former Los Angeles Lakers’ icon added, “When I was younger, I didn’t have a dad. So my whole thing was like, whenever I have a kid, not only is he going to be a junior, I’m gonna do everything that this man didn’t do.”LeBron James’ bond with his three children has also been shaped by the lack of a father figure in his life.For the unversed, LeBron James has actually never met his biological father and he was raised single handedly by his mother.Coming from a modest background in Akron, LeBron James’ mother battled through social stigma and financial hardships to raise the NBA legend.LeBron James opens up about how he handles his three children amid his busy career in the leagueWhile LeBron James' life changed as soon as he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, he has been pretty particular about how he wants to raise his three children.In an interview with Chris Haynes, LeBron James said, “The best part of fatherhood is seeing your kids in you. The stuff that you used to think you could get away with. The things you thought you were sneaking away with and now you see your kids trying the same thing and I be like, ‘I’ve been there, boy. I know what you’re trying to do. I used to try that. Don’t try to fool me. I know exactly what’s going on.’”The 40 year old NBA icon added, “So that’s a pretty cool thing and also just seeing the different personalities from Zhuri, to Bronny, to Bryce, it’s almost like leading a team. You can’t lead them all the same way. They all have different personalities even though we’re all growing up in the same households; you have to be able to command them differently. That’s a challenge, but it’s pretty cool.”Though both LeBron James and his wife Savannah James became parents when they were just teenagers, they never shied away from their responsibilities.Savannah James has also often spoken about how LeBron James stepped up to be there for her even though he himself was pretty young.Today, both of them have built a beautiful life for themselves as they remain private with their lives.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.