The last time LeBron James had plenty to say about the Bear Down community was when Bryce James announced his commitment to the Arizona Wildcats in January. It was the same day LeBron James had a very productive outing after logging 38 points in the Lakers’ 114-106 win over the Trail Blazers. Huddled by reporters in the locker room, the father was excited for his son’s future in the hands of “straight shooter” of a coach in Tommy Lloyd.

At the time, Bron couldn’t help but poke some fun at some Arizona alumni who were his teammates when the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA title in 2016. But now that it’s nearly time for Bryce to up and leave, reality seems to be settling in the James household.

Bryce was Arizona’s second commitment in the class, and just like that, the Wildcats’ 2025 recruiting class ranks seventh nationally. He, however, is far less developed and a strict off-ball player when compared to his older brother, Bronny. So with his frame (6 ft. 6 in.) and shooting touch, Bryce could be a perimeter floor-spacer that would require him to be more coordinated defensively. Of course, that doesn’t mean that he won’t be an impactful college athlete. Perhaps it will just take a while before we see him play a big role in the program’s upcoming season as a freshman.

To LeBron’s knowledge, Bronny was just the first of the James gang to go to college. Bryce, too, is expected to leave for Tucson in the fall, which is sure to impact Bron’s offseason… something that the proud father discussed on the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast with Steve Nash. He was emotional. “My youngest son is headed off to college soon. That’s another bird out the nest, a very emotional moment coming up for Bryce going off to Tucson to be an Arizona Wildcat.” The 6’6 shooting guard is the latest addition to the James dynasty in American basketball, and Papa James couldn’t be happier.

via Imago

But the father is also nursing an injured knee. He was diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain in the final game of the series, an injury that was expected to sideline him 4-to-6 weeks. This was uncharted territory for him. Never had he ever gotten an injury that would require proper bed rest. Being virtually bedridden is not something James would have thought about. While you do get some much-needed rest, you don’t get the chance to spend the off-season with the fam.

LeBron James confirmed a delay in retirement plans. But his main motive was to get some time to spend with his family after the greatest 22-year basketball career ever. And that is still not achievable due to his condition.

LeBron James is missing out on family time due to the unforgiving NBA schedule!

This is a long debate. Many players have been vocal about reducing game time. And not just for the sake of their bodies, but for some much-needed family time. Ideally, Bron would be looking at the off-season as a way to reconnect with daughter Zhuri and wife Savannah James. But that’s down the drain, too, due to the MCL sprain.

“But my daughter is heavily in volleyball, so I’ll be in a lot of gyms this summer. She’s with her travel league team on California. They go all over. They’ve been to Reno, Nevada. They go on to Las Vegas. They play all over California. So I just spent a lot of time with her and then take some vacation time with the family. Some of the times you lose, obviously when you’re in the eight, nine month season. And see what the next journey looks like,” said Bron on the pod.

via Imago

It’s tough to see one of the GOATs suffering like this at 40 years of age. The positive updates on his recovery are good news for sure. And he’s happy about Bryce living up to his potential after joining the Wildcats. But if there’s one thing that’s missing for the Lakers superstar, it’s some family time. And that won’t come until retirement.