LeBron James has revealed that the biggest influence on his free-agency decision is not another NBA player, coach, or executive – it’s his daughter, Zhuri.
Speaking at Fanatics Fest, the four-time NBA champion explained that family considerations have become a major factor as he decides where to continue his career after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers.
“It’s my almost 12-year-old daughter who is pulling the weight a lot,” James said during a conversation with Rich Kleiman at Fanatics Fest on Thursday.
James later shared that he had already spoken with Zhuri about his decision to leave Los Angeles.
“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,’” James said at Fanatics Fest.
“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.”
With Bronny James playing for the Lakers and Bryce James beginning his college career at Arizona, Zhuri is the only one of James’ children still living at home full time.
Remaining close to his family is believed to be an important factor as he weighs offers from several teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
James also acknowledged that his decision involves much more than basketball.
“People are like, hurry up and make a goddamn decision, Bron,” he said at Fanatics Fest. “It’s like, OK, it’s not just about the team.
“… I won’t hold you guys up too much longer. But the family portion is huge for me.”
LeBron James reveals daughter Zhuri is driving force in NBA free agency decision https://t.co/1Wxab7HJMx pic.twitter.com/60RdscTmiy
— New York Post (@nypost) July 17, 2026
