LeBron James, the parent, is too hard on himself

Why LeBron James, the father, is probably too hard on himself

In LeBron’s upcoming HBO series, “The Shop,” the future Hall of Famer reveals:

"“I still regret giving my 14-year-old my name.”"

The three-time NBA champion is clearly being hard on himself. Sure, the Jr. suffix comes with great responsibility for his first born. But is that pressure insurmountable?

LeBron James Jr. isn’t the first athlete named after his father to attempt to fill illustrious shoes. Cal Ripken Jr.’s dad spent 36 years as a part of the Orioles organization; Ken Griffey Jr. played in the outfield alongside his father. New York Knick Tim Hardaway Jr. dealt with the same adversity coming into the NBA.

Still, the expectations set for LeBron James Jr. are unheralded. After all, his dad is arguably the greatest basketball player to ever live. Thanks to the social media era, footage of Bronny’s games as an eighth grader have gone viral. His visits to potential high schools were used to guess where his dad would suit up. Even popular video games, a safe haven for teenagers to decompress, are speculating on what an NBA future looks like for this 14-year-old.

LeBron laments over his decision to name his son after him, and he admits to sweaty palms when watching Bronny play. But what he fails to realize is that the genetic gifts that he’s passed on to his son go far beyond a physical frame built for success on the basketball court.

King James was calm, cool and collected when he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated at just 16 years old. He kept his composure when Allen Iverson showed up at his game at the Palestra in Philadelphia. The drama about the Escalade in his mother’s name was taken in stride.

LeBron James Jr. is cut from the same cloth, refusing to let any of the praise or ridicule affect his approach. I don’t know of any other 14-year-old who plays basketball with people chanting, “Overrated’ in the background.

LeBron has done a great job of putting his son around the right people. I’m not just talking about the NBA stars like Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, who serve as uncles to the budding basketball player. But he’s also surrounded by kids his own age who understand what he’s going through.

The James family recently flew to Las Vegas to watch 16-year-old Zaire Wade play in a tournament. Shaq’s 18-year-old son, Shareef O’Neal, is a big brother of sorts to LeBron Jr. The future UCLA basketball star understands what Bronny is going through. His recent Instagram post provided so much perspective.

As hard as LeBron is being on himself, I’m sure that he understands that he’s done a great job, putting his son in a position to succeed. Perhaps his recent revelation of regret stems from nervousness. The James family is moving to the media capital of the world. There are countless tales of how Hollywood has mistreated and taken advantage of its child stars.

Still, Kobe Bryant is a phone call away to discuss that fear. If anyone knows what it’s like to be a teenage basketball phenom in L.A., it’s Kobe.

LeBron is simply doing what all great parents do. It’s his job to worry about his son and what his future will look like. His stature doesn’t rid him of the concerns of wanting his children to be both successful and happy. The obsession that the basketball world has with LeBron Jr. doesn’t make it any easier. But as we’ve seen with King James since he exploded on the seen as a teenager himself, his son is handling the pressure better than anyone could ever expect.