LeBron James and his son Bronny became the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game during the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener on Tuesday night.
The milestone was celebrated as LeBron, the league’s all-time leading scorer, and his 20-year-old rookie son checked into the game together late in the second quarter, igniting an enthusiastic ovation from the Laker’s home crowd.
LeBron had already made his mark in the game before joining Bronny on the court, having played 13 minutes before his son’s debut. In total Bronny would only clock in three minutes throughout Tuesday’s season opener alongside his dad.
In that three minutes, Bronny came up with one rebound after shooting 0-for-2 on the night, still dragging along his zero percent three point percentage from the preseason.
LeBron, now 39, had long expressed his dream of sharing the court with Bronny, who was drafted by the Lakers as the 55th overall pick after a less than standout year at the University of Southern California. The two have continued to maintain the media spotlight throughout the summer league and this year’s off-season.
In attendance to witness the historic occasion were Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., the first father-son duo in Major League Baseball to play together, who watched the moment courtside. The two baseball stars teamed up for 51 games with the Seattle Mariners during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. In one game, the pair even hit back to back home runs together against the California Angels.
The Griffeys and James family were seen meeting up during pregame warm-ups for photos before James Jr.’s debut on Tuesday night.
As the Lakers embark on the 2024-2025 season, all eyes will be on Bronny, as many commentators speculate that the rookie may soon be resigned to the NBA G League for further development.
Earlier this year, James Jr. told ESPN Radio that he would welcomed the idea of playing for the Lakers G league team, saying, “I know that I’m not going to be thrown into the rotation immediately. So, I’ve accepted that role and I’m coming in and getting better every day and learning from the vets and people that are going to be receiving heavy minutes. I have no problem sitting back and learning these first couple years and then building up from there.”
However, the new head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, J.J. Redick, has not confirmed what the organization’s definitive plans are for James Jr. at this time.
