LeBron James has added another historic milestone to his illustrious career, this time sharing the court with his eldest son, Bronny James. During the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, the Jameses became the first father-son duo to ever appear in an NBA game together, a moment that electrified the crowd at Crypto.com Arena.
LeBron, who had already played 13 minutes in the game, reentered with Bronny with 4:00 left in the second quarter, prompting a roar from the crowd. As the pair walked to the scorer’s table, the arena buzzed in anticipation before exploding in cheers when the two officially stepped onto the court together.
“That moment, us being at the scorer’s table together and checking in together, something I will never forget,” LeBron, 39, shared during a joint postgame press conference with Bronny, 19. “No matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade, I will never forget that moment.”
For Bronny, it wasn’t just a historic moment with his dad but also his first regular-season game in the NBA. “I tried not to focus on everything going on around me and tried to focus on going in as a rookie and not trying to mess up,” he said. “But yeah, I totally did feel the energy.”
While the Lakers were outscored 7-2 during their brief time together on the floor, the moment stood out. Bronny missed a three-pointer from the wing after receiving a pass from LeBron and was blocked by Rudy Gobert on a tip-in attempt. Still, it was the significance of the moment that resonated with the team and fans alike.
Teammate Anthony Davis, who led the Lakers with 36 points and 16 rebounds, expressed his excitement: “Just looking at them checking in at the same time at the scorer’s table gave me chills.”
Bronny played just under three minutes in the first half and finished the game with one rebound, going 0-for-2 from the field. LeBron contributed 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, helping the Lakers secure a 110-103 win.
Bronny, who was drafted by the Lakers in the second round with the 55th pick, had faced some struggles during the preseason, averaging 4.2 points on 29.7% shooting. However, he showed promise, finishing his preseason strong with a 17-point performance against the Golden State Warriors.
The historic occasion was further celebrated by the presence of Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr., the first father-son duo to play together in Major League Baseball. The Griffeys famously hit back-to-back home runs for the Seattle Mariners in 1990. LeBron acknowledged the special significance of their presence, saying, “To know that those guys will be in attendance tonight while me and Bronny are on the same team is a pretty cool moment in the history of sports.”
With this historic night behind them, LeBron reflected on the importance of keeping the focus on the team: “We had a job to do when we checked in. We weren’t trying to make it a circus. We weren’t trying to make it about us. We wanted to make it about the team.”
Tuesday’s game marks just the fourth time in professional sports history where a father and son have played together. In addition to the Griffeys, NHL legend Gordie Howe played alongside his sons Mark and Marty in 1980, and Tim Raines played with his son, Tim Raines Jr., for the Baltimore Orioles in 2001.
In the end, the victory alongside his son made the historic night all the more memorable for LeBron, who beamed, “This is the first time we had a LeBron moment that was something huge and we won.”
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