LeBron James and his eldest son Bronny James made NBA history on Sunday by making their long-awaited debuts with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The two players appeared together at the start of the second quarter of the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns at Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles.
While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in 16 minutes and 20 seconds before sitting out the second half, Bronny struggled with zero points in just over 13 minutes on the court. The younger James only attempted one shot.
“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.”
James Sr. said that there were moments on the court that felt strange.
“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.”
The anticipation of the James brothers becoming the first father-son combo to appear in the same NBA lineup has grown since the Lakers selected Bronny with the 55th pick in the NBA Draft in June.
“I’m thrilled that I get to be a part of this,” new Lakers coach J.J. Redick said Sunday after the James double-act.
“It’s cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to the longevity of LeBron and his competitive stamina. And it speaks to the work that Bronny has done to get to this point.”
Redick introduced Bronny James on the floor with the Lakers up 34-25 in the second quarter.
LeBron James has stated that playing with Bronny on the same team has given him a new lease on life as he approaches the 22nd season of his glittering career.
“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,” James said.
“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.”
Bronny stated at the Lakers’ latest media day that he was motivated by naysayers who claimed he owed his spot on the Lakers roster completely to his superstar father.
“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,” he said.
Bronny James is anticipated to spend the majority of his first season in the NBA’s developing G League rather than the Lakers’ senior club.
On October 22, the Lakers will play their first regular season game of 2024-2025 at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
