Ron Harper Takes A Shot At LeBron James' Parenting Style

Retired NBA player Ron Harper was on hand at Saturday’s All-Star Weekend festivities to participate in the Shooting Stars Challenge, and despite losing, he’s got one of the most memorable moments of the night.

With his sons, San Antonio Spurs’ Dylan Harper and Boston Celtics’ Ron Harper Jr., seated in front of him, he was asked how it felt to see them excel in the league more than 20 years after his retirement. Instead of a typical “proud-of-my-sons” response, he used it as an opportunity to diss LeBron James.

“I’m not LeBron James,” Harper told the media. “I’m not going to tell my kids what they have to do.”

He continued, “I want them to play, enjoy the game, and whatever they can get out of the game, take it. Once upon a time, I told them, ‘Whatever opportunity you have, you should have a chance to play in the NBA.'”

The media and his sons awkwardly laughed; Dylan even put his face in his hands.

Harper is, of course, talking about Bronny James, who’s had a rocky start basketball-wise. He suffered a cardiac arrest at USC and only started in six games before declaring before the NBA Draft, when he could have developed his game a bit more.

He was later picked by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 55th pick in the 2024 Draft. Although it led to the historic moment when he and LeBron became the first-ever father-son duo to play together, many question whether it was deserved or even the path Bronny wanted to take.

Now in his second season, he’s developed further and recently posted a season-high 12 points.

Harper is a five-time NBA champion, having been part of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls legacy and Kobe Bryant’s 2000 and 2001 titles. Alongside his sons, he scored 18 points in the Shooting Star Challenge and was eliminated in the first round.

Social media is upset with Harper name dropping LeBron. See the reactions below.