Parenting isn’t defined by a rigid rulebook. Everyone does things differently, based on what their children want—or rather, need. Savannah James, wife of LeBron, is an advocate for doing what works best for her family, something he explained during the latest episode of her Everybody’s Crazy podcast.
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Savannah and co-host April McDaniel received a call from a mother in Mississippi concerned about her 18-year-old son’s grades—a natural worry, since they can shape a person’s future. However, since he was a high school senior, Savannah jokingly diagnosed him with ‘senioritis’ — likely a playful way of describing the drop in motivation that often hits students in their final year.
The King’s wife then shared her perspective on her own parenting style, which she described as unconventional, and offered what she believed was her best advice for students struggling through their final year of school.
“My parenting style is a little different. I’m more graceful,” she said. “You just have to do enough to get on the stage. Like, obviously, I want the grades to be good. But I get it. We done. I’m done. Just get across the stage.”
Savannah took her sons Bryce and Bronny James as examples, and spoke about how they did in high-school. Her outlook was of course, different, since they were both athletes, looking to follow in the footsteps of their father, who is one of the greatest NBA players of all time.
“My kids have always had good grades. But you know…they’re athletes.” she added. “School was like, they gotta go, so they did what they needed to do. Still very smart young men.”
And to be fair, Bronny and Bryce are doing pretty well for themselves. Bronny was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 Draft and even got to share the court with LeBron in an NBA game. He also made a strong impression in the G League. Bryce, meanwhile, is still just 17 and balling out at Sierra Canyon High School—not too worried about grades, if what Savannah says is true.
Mrs. James then got into an argument with her co-host about whether it’s a C or a D that makes an average grade, and it led to Savannah admitting, “Through high school I was an average student. It was what it was.”
But Savannah didn’t slack off for too long. She wanted to finish her education on a strong note, graduating with a 3.5 GPA. Shortly after, she became pregnant with Bronny.
There’s no right or wrong to what Savannah is saying. It’s actually a really nice, casual mindset to have as a parent, and since both of her kids are doing well, you can’t really argue that it isn’t working. Putting nonstop pressure on kids to perform well in school can sometimes backfire, making them hate it—and potentially do worse.
Whether Bryce joins his brother and father in the NBA remains to be seen. But the James household seems one filled with love and support. Regardless of their grades, they all seem to be on the right path.
