LeBron James and his son Bronny made history on Sunday, becoming the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The milestone moment came during the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert.
LeBron dominated with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds, while Bronny struggled to find his rhythm, scoring zero points in 13 minutes with only one shot attempt.
The anticipation surrounding the James duo’s debut had been building since the Lakers drafted Bronny with the 55th pick in June.
“I’m thrilled to be part of this,” said Lakers coach J.J. Redick, who introduced Bronny into the game with the Lakers leading 34-25 in the second quarter.
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For LeBron, playing alongside Bronny has revitalized his passion for the game as he enters his 22nd season.
Lebron said:
“It was cool for both of us, especially our family,” LeBron James, 39, said afterwards of playing alongside Bronny, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Sunday. “It’s definitely a moment I’ll never forget.
“As a father it means everything. For someone who didn’t have a dad growing up, to be able to have that influence on your son, to be able to have moments with your son, to work with your son — that’s one of the greatest things a father could ever hope for.
“It’s a lot of excitement, a pure joy, to be able to come to work every day, put in hard work with your son every day and be able to see him continue to grow.
“We push each other. He pushes me. I push him. We push our teammates, and vice versa. So it’s just a very joyous moment not only for myself, but for our family.
“So it’s pretty awesome. Gives you a lot of life.”
On his part, Bronny admitted feeling surreal moments on court but remains motivated by critics who doubt his abilities, suggesting he only made the Lakers roster due to his famous father.
Bronny said: “We came out of a timeout and we kind of stood next to each other. I kind of looked at him. It was like being in ‘The Matrix’ or something. It just didn’t feel real. But it was great to have those moments.
“I’m just taking all that stuff, that criticism and backlash that people have given me and turning it into something that can fuel me.”
Bronny James is expected to spend most of his rookie season in the developmental G-League rather than the Lakers senior squad.
The Lakers open their 2024-2025 regular season campaign with a home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 22.
