It's no secret that LeBron James has done an excellent job of turning his two sons into high-level basketball players. His oldest, Bronny, plays alongside him with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his youngest, Bryce, is committed to play for the Division I Arizona Wildcats in 2025.
One of the many ways he keeps them on their game is through a group chat where he sends messages "that focus them back in." During the latest episode of James's Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash, he relayed a story he shared with them last spring about one of the Boston Celtics' star players:
"I sent this [on] June 18, 2024," he explained. "I'll tell you who this guy is after I read this, 'Unranked in high school. Zero D-I scholarship offers. Played three years of Division II basketball at UCCS. Transferred to Colorado. And now is an NBA champion on one of the best teams in the NBA.'"
"That guy is Derrick White," James continued. "Hell of a player. And my message was ... everybody's road to success is different. So stay locked in and patient."
.@KingJames is keeping Bronny and Bryce locked in.
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) June 23, 2025
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While White became a first-round pick after his two years with the Buffaloes in Boulder, his career didn't truly take off until he was traded to Boston ahead of the 2022 season. The 30-year-old has since become a champion, a two-time All-Defensive Second Team honoree, and by all accounts is among a select few that the Celtics and executive Brad Stevens deem untradeable.
A story the Jameses, Bronny and Bryce, can certainly look towards as they forge their own NBA careers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LeBron James Uses Celtics Star's Story to Keep Sons Bronny, Bryce Motivated.
