The 17-year-old son of the Lakers star poked some fun at his famous father on Instagram
LeBron James inadvertently gave his son Bryce an assist on this one!
On Friday, July 5, LeBron’s 17-year-old son poked fun at his dad — and his classic “smiling through it all” meme — by recreating the photo in all its glory.
Bryce shared an image of himself poolside during the holiday weekend, as he placed his hand on his head, smiled and wrote the iconic caption: “Smiling through it all! Can’t believe this my life.”
Of course, the phrase was first made into a popular meme after Bryce’s dad posted the exact image of himself on his Instagram Stories in early 2018. At the time, it was believed that LeBron’s photo was in response to Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham telling him to “shut up and dribble” — but the snap has since been used online in numerous other contexts.
After posing for his own version, Bryce shared another picture on his Instagram Stories with the acronym “Iykyk” — meaning “if you know, you know.”
LeBron certainly knew, and he responded to Bryce’s image on his own Instagram Stories with several laughing emojis.
LeBron — who also shares LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., 19, and Zhuri Nova, 9, with his wife, Savannah James — has a lot to be proud of when it comes to his kids. On June 29, the NBA great reacted to his eldest son being selected by his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, during the second round of the NBA Draft on June 27.
“NO WORDS!! 🤴🏾,” LeBron captioned an image, showing his son in a Lakers jersey branded with the name “James Jr.”
The two are now set to make NBA history this upcoming season as the first father-son duo to actively play in the league together, on the same team. LeBron also celebrated the milestone on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
“With the 55th in the 2024 NBA draft. The Los Angeles Lakers select……. Bronny James… Just had a moment,” LeBron wrote in the June 30 post.
When asked about a potential retirement in 2023 after the Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, LeBron told reporters that he did have a goal of one day playing in a professional basketball game with his son.
“I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny,” he said at the time, “Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him.”