LeBron James shared his thoughts on fatherhood after a special pre-game shootaround with his daughter Zhuri before the Lakers' win over the Warriors.
The Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 129-101 win over the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center, but the most talked-about moment of the night happened before tip-off.
LeBron James shared a special shootaround with his 11-year-old daughter Zhuri James, a moment that showed a different side of the Lakers superstar. After the game, James spoke openly about how being a father to a daughter has changed him over the years.
"It's special, it's special, it's definitely softened me up over the last 11 years. I had two boys to begin with, but it's special to have her. It's a different type of love between girls and boys. It's tough love when it comes to my boys. I yell at them and stuff whatever, you know, they take it, they know how to approach it, it's different, a little softer when it's my daughter," James said in a post-game interview.
The pre-game session featured Zhuri copying her father's dribbling drills before finally hitting a backward over-the-head shot from the free throw line. The moment ended with Zhuri tossing an alley-oop to James for a dunk, drawing smiles from everyone on the floor.
Once the game started, James showed that fatherhood has not softened his play between the lines. He scored 20 points in the first half and finished the night shooting 7 of 13 from the field. Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 26 points on his 27th birthday, while Austin Reaves added 18.
The Lakers were sharp offensively, shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 46.1 percent from three-point range. Golden State, playing without Stephen Curry and other key players, struggled to keep pace.
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