LeBron and Bronny James, Lakers teammates, made history by becoming the first father-son combo to play in an NBA regular-season game.LeBron, 39, and Bronny, 20, both entered the game with four minutes remaining in the second quarter, with the Lakers leading 51-35.
It was a brief time on the court for these two, but shouts erupted throughout Crypto.com Arena as they made history on Tuesday night.
There was also one instance when LeBron kicked out a pass to Bronny for a three-pointer on the wing, but his first shot in the NBA rimmed out. The crowd let out a collective groan as they waited with bated breath for these two to score their first points.
While the Lakers are focused on Bronny’s development, the organisation was believed to seek this historic occasion at the start of the year after picking the younger James from USC with the 55th overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Bronny made the opening night roster, and it was only a matter of time before first-year head coach JJ Redick pulled him off the bench.
“Whenever it happens, it will happen,” LeBron stated during shootaround on Tuesday morning, according to ESPN. “Whether it’s tonight or later, whatever happens, will happen. But it’s been a pleasure, and just in preseason, practices, and every day… just getting him up to speed on what professional life is all about and how to prepare every day as a professional.”
While he searches for another title in Los Angeles, LeBron has been reflecting about his son as he begins his NBA career this offseason.
Bronny suffered a heart collapse during a summer workout as he prepared for his first year at USC just over a year ago, in July 2023. It was a shocking event for the basketball world, and the prospect of this father-son duo sharing the same NBA court was the least of everyone’s concerns as Bronny’s health took precedence.
“[It was] not too long ago that the scare happened,” LeBron told ESPN on Tuesday. “And when he’s able to grace an NBA court, whether it’s tonight or later, it’ll be another one of those times where he realises the difficulty he faced.
However, as LeBron stated, it was his son who prioritised basketball during his recovery, asking physicians whether he could play again and how long it would take if so.
After joining the Lakers, these two appeared on the same court for a preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 6, however it was not historic because it was not a regular season game. However, it did give basketball fans a look of these two in action together.
But all of the stars were in Los Angeles, as they typically are for Lakers games, to witness history, including another renowned father-son teammate combo in sports, Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr., who were sighted with LeBron and Bronny during pre-game warmups.
“I’ve been a big-time fan of Ken Griffey Jr. and then became a friend of Ken Griffey Jr. throughout my professional career,” according to LeBron. “Just understanding the history of athletics allows you to grasp what they were capable of. So being here today and knowing that those folks will be in attendance tonight while Bronny and I are on the same team is a really exciting moment in sports history.”
Much remains to be seen in terms of this duo’s efficiency and sustainability, but the first night of what LeBron, Bronny, and the Lakers hope will be many more to come has passed.
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