LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is very much looking forward to the new NBA season.
The basketball icon is relishing the opportunity to play with his oldest son, Bronny and says it has brought him “a lot of life.”
James will begin his 22nd season in the league – tying the record for the most NBA seasons – and he is set to make history by sharing the court with Bronny, who was selected by the Lakers as the 55th pick in the June draft.
At 39, James enters the season fresh off helping Team USA secure a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
However, his main motivation this year comes from the chance to play alongside his son.
Speaking during the Lakers’ media day, he said: “It’s a lot of excitement, a pure joy, to be able to come to work every day, put in hard work with your son every day and be able to see him continue to grow.
“We push each other. He pushes me. I push him. We push our teammates, and vice versa.
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“It’s just a very joyous moment not only for myself, but for our family. So it’s pretty awesome. Gives you a lot of life.”
LeBron, who turns 40 in December, also credited his Olympic experience, where he played alongside NBA stars like Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, for rejuvenating him.
He added: “When you’re with 11 other unbelievable, great talents, some of the best talent we’ve ever seen, it gives you a lot of joy to be able to play the game, play it at a high level.
“For myself individually, to go out there at my age, the miles that I have, and to be able to play at the level I played at, it gave me like, ‘Okay, I do have a lot in the tank, a lot, and I can help a big part of a team win the ultimate.’
“It felt damn good to play meaningful basketball at the highest level.
“So to have that feeling again where you’re playing meaningful basketball, every possession means something – if you make a mistake it burns you. That was good to relive that moment.”
The new NBA season tips off on October 22, with the Lakers set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves after the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, take on the New York Knicks.
