Why I Never Forced My Son to Be Like Me — and the reason will shock you. Let me tell you about a moment that changed the way I look at fatherhood. A moment I will never forget. One evening, I came home after practice. I was tired, mentally and physically. But when I walked into the house, I saw my son, Bronny, sitting quietly. No smile. No energy. Just silence. I sat next to him and asked, "Son, what's going on?" He looked down and said, "Dad… what if I can’t be like you? What if no matter how hard I try… I’ll never be LeBron James?" He said it with a trembling voice. And those words hit me harder than any loss, any injury, any criticism. Because I knew that pressure. I lived it. But I chose basketball because I loved it. He was growing up wondering if he had to choose it because of me. I stayed quiet for a moment. Then I looked him in the eyes and said: "Listen to me… you are not here to be me. You are here to be you. Your journey is yours. Your story is yours. And no matter where life takes you… I will be proud of you, not because of basketball, but because you are my son." He didn’t say anything at first. But he leaned forward… and hugged me. A hug that said more than words ever could. People think I want him to be the next LeBron. They don’t understand. I want him to be the first Bronny. His own identity. His own dreams. His own legacy. And if that’s basketball — beautiful. If it’s something else — I’ll be in the front row, cheering louder than anyone. Because being a father… means loving your child for who they are, not who the world expects them to be. If you agree… Comment: “Be Yourself, Bronny.” --- Script 3 Why I Kept My Childhood Friends With Me — and the reason will shock you. When I became famous, everyone said the same thing to me: "You need new people around you now." "People with money, power, influence." They said my old friends wouldn’t understand the new life. They said I needed to upgrade. But they didn’t know my story. They didn’t know our story. When I was growing up in Akron, Ohio… I didn’t have much. But I had brothers — Maverick, Rich, and Randy. We had dreams that sounded impossible. We talked about the NBA like it was the moon. We believed… when no one else believed for us. And then… when I made it… The world changed. But I didn’t forget who was with me before the cameras, before the trophies, before the fame. One day, a business executive asked me: "Why are you trusting career decisions with your childhood friends?" I looked him in the eyes and said: "Because they were loyal before I had anything to offer." They didn’t want money from me. They didn’t want fame from me. They wanted to build something with me. And together… we did. We built businesses. We built companies. We built a legacy beyond basketball. People chase luxury. I chase loyalty. Because success means nothing… if you’re standing at the top alone. If you believe loyalty is real wealth, Comment: “Real Ones Stay.”