LeBron James says his daughter, Zhuri, is playing the biggest role in deciding where he’ll play next.
Speaking at Fanatics Fest, the NBA legend revealed that 11-year-old Zhuri has had the biggest influence on his upcoming free-agency decision after announcing he won’t return to the Lakers.
“It’s my almost 12-year-old daughter who is pulling the weight a lot,” James said during an interview with Rich Kleiman on Thursday.
Before announcing he was leaving the Lakers, James said he sat down with his daughter to prepare her for the change.
“I pulled her to the side, and I was like, ‘Baby, I don’t want you to hear from nobody else, but I won’t be playing for the Lakers next year,'” he recalled. “I will be playing somewhere else. So, I won’t be home all the time. And you may not have an answer right now—you can give me an answer now, you can wait, you can write it down. Just want to know how you’re feeling about it because you mean a lot to me.”
James’ decision won’t just change the team he plays for. It will also likely mean spending much of the NBA season away from his family, and for the first time in his career, living in a different city than them.
While his wife, Savannah, has spent years supporting James, and sons Bronny and Bryce are now pursuing their own basketball careers, Zhuri is still growing up in Los Angeles. Her friends are there, and she’s becoming a standout volleyball player.
Those are among the reasons some believe James could prioritize staying close to Los Angeles.
Melissa Rohlin of the New York Post writes, “That’s why it’s hard to imagine James choosing anywhere besides Golden State to finish his career. He’d be a 45-minute flight from Los Angeles, which is less time than it took him to commute from his Brentwood home to the downtown arena when he played for the Lakers.”
Fans have gotten a closer look at James’ bond with Zhuri in recent months. Earlier this year, she joined him on a father-daughter trip to San Francisco when the Lakers played the Warriors.
Zhuri even joined her father on the court during warmups, making a behind-the-back trick shot before celebrating with him.
“It’s definitely softened me up,” James said about being a girl dad. “It’s a different type of love.”
James has not revealed where he’ll play next, and he has also suggested that next season may not be his last.
