LeBron James hopes to arrange family reunion with son Bronny in 2024

LeBron James was suiting up for his 18th consecutive start in an All-Star Game on Sunday night — performing his rituals, throwing his arms and a cloud of powder toward the sky, and reveling in a return to Cleveland. That’s where his career began, just a short drive from Akron, where he was raised. But perhaps he already was preparing for his next role.

Even on a night when the 75 greatest players in NBA history were honored, James is in the argument as the greatest of them all. But he wasn’t the biggest star on this night until the final shot of the game, when he delivered a step-back 17-foot jumper to finish off a 163-160 win for Team LeBron over Team Durant at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The MVP award went to another child of Akron, Steph Curry, who scored 50 points, two short of the All-Star Game record. He shot 16-for-27 from three-point range.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for Team LeBron. Joel Embiid had 36 points and 10 rebounds for Team Durant.

James, who had 24 points and eight assists, may be aging as a player, but in team-building, he might be entering his prime.

He had enjoyed his opportunity to serve as Team LeBron’s captain, carefully piecing together a squad for the game. That shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s been accused of serving as a de facto GM on most of the teams he’s been a part of, manipulating friends and competitors to join him and forming superteams — some with better success than others. So maybe it should be expected that James already was thinking about his next stop.

In an interview with The Athletic, he declared the final player he wants to play alongside. "My last year will be played with my son," James said. "Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point."

And just like that, the market for the services of LeBron James — and his son — for the 2024-25 season is on the table.

His son, currently a junior at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, California, will be eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft. Bronny, who is 6-3, is not regarded as the sort of sure thing the elder James was when he entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft, a generational talent. But is he enough of a prospect to make teams think about drafting him for the chance to create a two-for-one package?

James, 37, still is near the top of the game, averaging 29.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in nearly 37 minutes per game, but he has struggled to lift his latest team of super-friends. The Lakers (27-31) are in ninth place in the Western Conference.

Anthony Davis, with whom he excitedly joined forces in Los Angeles, just suffered a sprained foot and is expected to be sidelined at least four weeks. James has endured his own struggles to stay on the court, missing 27 games last season and 17 this season.

"Every season has its own mental and physical challenges," he said at his All-Star media availability Saturday. "This is no different. This is the strangest season I’ve been a part of so far. I don’t want to just talk about the injuries but COVID protocols. You have guys go out for false positives. You have had guys go out for real reasons. We’ve had our head coach be out for several games.

"We’ve had injuries. We’ve had a little bit of everything. I mean, I’ve been out at points in time in the season. It’s just been very challenging, very physically and emotionally draining at times, but that’s the NBA season for you. If you are not having your mindset on that happening, then you’re setting yourself up for failure. I’ve always kind of known that’s going to happen at some point throughout the season."

It’s hard to imagine that some organization wouldn’t want James as a major part of its team even two seasons from now. And if it means letting him play general manager, even if for a family reunion, you can bet plenty of teams will consider moving Bronny James up their draft board.

While Antetokounmpo has been a throwback, sticking with the Milwaukee Bucks and avoiding the lure of bigger markets or ready-made championship teams, James has moved from Cleveland to Miami to Cleveland to Los Angeles. So what’s one more stop?

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.