Year 21 of LeBron James' once-in-a-lifetime NBA career officially got underway Tuesday night.

If you went looking for evidence of his aging process, though, the league's all-time leading scorer offered almost none of it. He paced the team in points (21) while tying for the lead in rebounds (eight) and plus/minus (plus-7). He dished five assists without committing a single turnover.

The only part of his box score that was a bit lacking was the fact he played just 29 minutes, but that was by design. In an effort to keep their 38-year-old star as fresh as possible, L.A. plans to limit his playing time this season.

If that helps keep him upright—he's missed 20-plus games each of the past two seasons—maybe this opens the door to even more seasons in his future. He has a $51.4 million player option for 2024-25, per Spotrac, but that gives him some wiggle room if he wants to extend his career on a different contract.

Like, perhaps to team up with his son Bronny James, a freshman at USC and the No. 35 pick on the latest 2024 mock draft from B/R's Jonathan Wasserman.

It's unclear if Bronny James will be a part of that draft, though, after going into cardiac arrest during a July workout. However, if he enters the draft, that could have a massive impact on LeBron's NBA future. In fact, The Athletic's Joe Vardon wrote that Bronny's health "could be the single biggest factor affecting James' free agency."

LeBron "would want to be able to play on the same team as his son, if it's possible," Vardon wrote, and "most observers believe the Lakers will find a way to make sure that happens in Los Angeles."

Based on how James played Tuesday night, it's easy to see why.

"LeBron is 21 years in the league and in transition, that guy is just unstoppable," Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters.

James is an all-time great who has somehow retained his greatness across two-plus decades in the Association. He looked like L.A.'s best player in the opener, which is both a testament to him and a reflection of the struggles of Anthony Davis (17 points on 17 shots, scoreless in the second half) and Austin Reaves (4-of-11 shooting, minus-14 in 31 minutes).

And for as good as James looked, the Lakers know he's capable of more.

Just last season, he averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 35.5 minutes per night. He is on triple-double watch any time he takes the floor and can seemingly summon video-game numbers whenever he wants.

So, yeah, L.A. should want to keep him around—especially since Bronny, if healthy, is a strong prospect in his own right.

"A full-strength James without medical red flags should draw interest with his coveted mix of shooting, passing IQ, defense and maturity," Wasserman wrote in his mock.

If Bronny's medicals are fine, it will be fascinating to see his draft night play out. The Lakers owe their first-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans (though New Orleans can opt to receive L.A.'s 2025 first instead) and their second-round selection to the San Antonio Spurs. L.A. does have the Los Angeles Clippers' second-round pick, though that may not land early enough to get Bronny.

So, what happens, then? Would the Lakers try moving up the board to get Bronny? Would other teams consider drafting Bronny, both to add him to their roster and potentially lure LeBron to town?

If L.A. wants to keep LeBron around, it should do whatever it takes to get Bronny.