In Maui, Bronny James was living the dream. Ice cream in hand, island breeze in the background, and flanked by his dad, LeBron and younger brother Bryce, it was the kind of off-season that family content fans eat up. But the internet, being the internet… didn’t see just a cone, they saw a contrast. And it didn’t take long for the (dad) jokes (and jabs) to start flying.

Because just a year ago, Luka Doncic was caught in a very different kind of viral moment. After advancing to the Finals with Dallas, Luka reached for a celebratory beer only to have it snatched out of his hand by a team staffer on live TV. No cheers, no sip, no fun. And that clip? It still lives rent-free in NBA meme culture. Pair it with the Mavericks’ frustration with Luka’s “social habits” — beer, hookah, and late-night indulgences — and the narrative practically wrote itself. Execs reportedly called him “lazy,” cited weight concerns, and even warned of a looming health collapse within five years. Ouch.

The fallout then led directly to a blockbuster trade: Luka shipped to the Lakers, LeBron’s kingdom, with the weight of redemption on his shoulders. And under LeBron’s watch? Luka’s been sensational — averaging 27.1 points, 8.1 boards, and 7.6 assists while powering L.A. to the West’s third seed. He’s slimmer, sharper, and, for now, scandal-free.

But here’s the thing, folks: a single cone of vanilla ice cream clocks in at around 280 calories. A regular beer? Closer to 150. So by strict nutrition math, Luka’s denied beer has fewer calories than Bronny James’ approved ice cream. That irony? Not lost on NBA fans.

Bronny snacks, Luka lacks, and fans? They notice

“So LeBron lets Bronny have ice cream but Luka has to eat fruit and veggies?” one fan asked, sarcastically channeling the weird double standard. And that’s where it gets layered. Bronny James, of course, isn’t under the same microscope. But he is LeBron’s son and already under immense public pressure. So, when fans see him carefree, while Luka’s diet is dissected like a lab experiment? They draw lines, stir drama, and ask: who’s really being protected here?

via Imago

Some even went as far as to poke fun at the father-son bond itself. “Bro wanted his daddy to get him chocolate,” another comment read — a dig at Bronny, sure, but really? A sly swipe at LeBron’s image as both protective dad and legacy-obsessed teammate. So in the great battle of “bad optics,” ice cream and beer are neck-and-neck. But one is treated as a cute vacation moment. The other? A red flag. “About to snatch that ice cream right out of bronnys hand,” another fan chimed in.

“Luka gotta call Jamal,” one fan joked, referencing Jamal Murray’s own well-documented frustrations with scrutiny. The subtext? The league loves to play moral police… but only selectively. And in this case, LeBron isn’t just a bystander. His proximity to Bronny James and his playing alongside him make this moment more than just viral noise. It’s a conversation about image, favoritism, and who gets to be seen as “professional.”

The Lakers’ gamble on Luka is already paying off. But if he slips even once, expect the old narratives to return — unlike Bronny James, he won’t be holding an ice cream cone under the Maui sun. He’ll be under the microscope, yet again.