The upcoming season is going to be a delight for the Lakers fans despite the franchise having one of the worst off-season. Firstly, the Lakers who are quite confident in their new head coach will finally get to see whether signing Redick was a good decision. On the other hand, the newcomer, Dalton Knecht made a lot of noise in the Summer League. And the Lakers, who visibly struggled from beyond the arc last season, will finally have some help. Last, but not least, LeBron James will finally play with his son, Bronny.

Fans as well as critics cannot wait to watch the two on the court. This will be a historic feat for James as well as the league. Now, as exciting as this may sound, what will Bronny refer to his father as on the court? This is definitely one of the most intriguing thoughts to wonder about. However, James recently cleared the dust on the same.

“No, we already laid that. No, he can’t. We already laid that down. Cannot call me ‘Dad’ in the workplace. Once we leave out of the private facility and the gates close, I could be ‘Dad’ again. In the car, if we ride together, at home I could be ‘Dad’. No, he got to call me like, ‘2-3’ or ‘Bron’, or you know, ‘GOAT’ if he want to. It’s up to him. I mean, it’s up to him… We cannot be running down the court and he’d be like, ‘Dad I’m open! Dad come on’. No, you cannot do that.”, said James in The Shop.

Yes, it wouldn’t be professional for Bronny to refer to his father in such a way after all. But he can look to call out ‘Bron’ whenever he gets the chance to direct a play. On the other hand, Bronny has received quite some hate for his role in the Lakers. Many believe him not to be NBA-ready. However, Jeanie Buss defended the 19-year-old recently saying,  “We have to let the kid have an opportunity to play and prove that he should be in a Laker uniform. Everything that we’ve seen from him and about him and his work ethic, just some of the things he’s had to overcome being the son of a big star. He works hard, he’s dedicated.”.

Now, this came after rumors of an anonymous player from the Summer League suggested that Bronny was being treated differently. Of course, knowing that it was a player from the Summer League roster who made the comments doesn’t mean that he is indeed a Laker. Not only that, but this statement might just be a rumor. Nevertheless, as Bronny prepares for his rookie season, Stephen A. Smith quite literally made a list of names that can help him with the name-calling on the court.

LeBron James may not be a fan of these options

Stephen A. included five names, namely, ‘Pops’, ‘Old Man’, ‘Bron Bron’, ‘Two-Three’, and ‘Captain’. It will be quite an adjustment for Bronny, but considering James would consider ‘Two-Three’ and ‘GOAT’, that should do the job for the rookie. Kendrick Perkins, however, believes that Bronny need not respect James in the locker room. “When they in the locker room together, Bronny don’t have to show him the respect of calling him Pops, damn it! They’re teammates, they’re co-workers now.”, said Perkins.

Besides, things won’t be so fun this time around. Although it will be a sight to see James and Bronny play together, the Lakers are looking to make their way back to the Finals. It’s been four long years since LeBron hasn’t been in the Finals and the franchise has been rebuilding the roster around James and AD for years at this point.

This is going to be a season of expectations from the front office’s point of view. James will be turning 40 this year and there have been speculations that his current tenure with the Lakers might be his last. While it may not translate to his last contract in the league, the Lakers should be concerned about their next two seasons. It will be interesting to see the father-son duo on the court, with the regular season commencing in less than two months.

What do you think Bronny should call his father on the court? Let us know in the comments.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.