One round around the sun in the sports world is grueling. Game after game after game– that could be monotonous (there is no question about the ‘could’!). It’s undoubtedly tiring and can often distract you from the much-needed family time. For players in the NBA, like LeBron James, who prioritizes their families over anything, they need to find ways to give the younger ones some relief. But don’t worry, Bron has his biggest supporter, Savannah James, to help him out.
“Basketball season is where it’s never a break. I’ve made sure that our kids, and my wife included, have always taken a break,” LeBron told Steve Nash on the Mind The Game podcast. But how does Bron make those plans look? “What time of year? And how do you say it to them?” Nash asked. “It usually takes place in July,” the Lakers star noted.
The 40-year-old then talked about how strenuous even the AAU has become lately. “I remember when I played, the last tournament was usually right before the 4th of July. That was the last AAU tournament. Then you didn’t play again until the fall when it cracked back up,” James said from experience. “Now there are tournaments right on the 4th of July. Right after the 4th of July, there are more tournaments in August. There are more tournaments throughout the whole summer.” Therefore, in such a case, Savannah James has helped him find ways to give some relief to their kids.
“Myself and Savannah, we’ve told our kids this is not an all-year-round thing for you guys. One, we don’t want y’all to burn the hell out. Two, there needs to be some family time involved as well. We get it. We know y’all want to play, whatever the case may be.” This is a rule Vannah and Bron have set up for Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri. “But there needs to be family time as well. Also, when you get away from things, it actually makes you even more hungry to get back to them. And that’s the burnout thing we were talking about.”
Mar 28, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; West guard Bronny James (6) poses for a family photo with grandmother Gloria Marie James, mother Savannah James , brother Bryce Maximus James, sister Zhuri Nova James and father LeBron James following the McDonald’s All American Boy’s high school basketball game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
So LeBron and Savannah James are making sure their children get breaks amidst their sporting commitments. Indeed, things are going to be stressful with time, but for now, some relief and family time would be enough to rescue them from the monotonous grind. However, Bron is noticing that even his kids haven’t experienced much.
LeBron & Savannah James’ kids barely know the joy of playing outdoors
LeBron James doesn’t see kids hooping in parks like he used to. When Steve Nash asked him how often he spots that scene, LeBron didn’t sugarcoat it: “Very rare. Not much.” He talked about how his own kids, despite growing up in sunny South Florida and Southern California, rarely played outside. They stuck to the indoors, always in a program. It wasn’t because of bad weather or lack of opportunity. “There was no reason for them not to be outside,” he said. But the culture had changed. Both Savannah James and LeBron understood that shift, especially compared to a place like Northeast Ohio, where winter snow or heavy rain could shut down any playground dream. Still, something felt different now. He lamented how kids aren’t allowed to explore anymore. “Not allowing kids to just go out and explore all sports—basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, track and field.”
The passion in his voice was unmistakable. LeBron James wasn’t just talking about basketball. He was talking about the joy of play. The randomness of a pickup game. The unstructured hours that turn into lifelong memories. While his kids followed a structured path, he seemed to miss the chaos of the old school grind. This wasn’t just a generational shift. It was a cultural one. And Bron, standing at the center of today’s basketball universe, saw it with clarity. His words hit like a crossover that leaves you stunned: soft-spoken but impossible to ignore.
May 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Savannah James, LeBron James and Rich Paul sit in the front in the fourth quarter of game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
So, Savannah James is not just the queen of the household, she is the architect of balance in the James family. While LeBron runs the court, she helps run the calendar, making sure their kids breathe between the buzzer. Together, they are rewriting the playbook on parenting in sports. Because sometimes, the biggest win isn’t a trophy—it’s a sunset, a laugh, and a little time away from the game. And Bron knows that’s the real legacy.
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