xtroopersBefore they got off the Lakers bench, LeBron James gave his 20-year-old son a motivational speech. They made their way to the scorer’s table together amid escalating applause, and then they became basketball history.
LeBron, the greatest scorer in NBA history, set a goal a few years ago, and Tuesday night, at the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener, he and Bronny became the first father and son to play together in the NBA.
On the field during the NBA season opener between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on October 22, 2024, are US small forward #23 LeBron James (L) and US guard #09 Bronny James. The first father and son to play together in an NBA game is LeBron and Bronny.
LeBron James, a four-time champion and 20-time All-Star, is among the best players in NBA history. Last summer, the Lakers selected LeBron James Jr. in the second round. They are the first father and son to play together, let alone on the same squad, in the world’s premier basketball league.
“Are you all set? You see how intense it is? The TNT cameras and microphones recorded the father telling his son, “Just play carefree,” on the bench prior to their check-in. “Don’t stress over errors. Simply go out and have a great time.
As LeBron had promised, their time together on the court was intense and quick.
After missing two outside jumpers, LeBron, who finished the game with 16 points, dunk. After grabbing an early offensive rebound and missing a tip-in, Bronny made his first NBA jump shot, a 3-pointer that narrowly missed. With 1:19 remaining in the second quarter, he was given another ovation after checking out one possession later.
In the Lakers’ 110-103 victory over the Timberwolves, Bronny did not return to the court.
“(I) tried not to focus on everything that’s going on around me, and tried to focus on going in as a rookie and not trying to mess up,” Bronny stated. “But yeah, I totally did feel the energy, and I appreciate Laker Nation for showing the support for me and my dad.”
Father and son also made their way to the locker room together after the final whistle of the Lakers’ first opening-night victory in LeBron’s seven seasons with the franchise, but not before halting in the tunnel to give hugs to Bronny’s mother and LeBron’s wife, Savannah James. On younger sister Zhuri’s tenth birthday, the whole family was present to watch history.
On October 22, 2024, in Los Angeles, California, LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers, Ken Griffey Sr., Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Ken Griffey Jr. pose for a picture before the game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.
On October 22, 2024, in Los Angeles, California, LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers, Ken Griffey Sr., Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Ken Griffey Jr. pose for a picture before the game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.
Courtside at the Lakers’ downtown arena, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. witnessed the identical moment in Major League Baseball history. The two sluggers became baseball’s first father-son team, playing 51 games together for the Seattle Mariners in 1990 and 1991.
During pregame warmups, the Griffeys and the Jameses crossed paths for a friendly conversation and some pictures between two incredible family lines.
A few years back, when his oldest son was still in high school, LeBron initially talked about his desire to play with Bronny. After one university season, Bronny entered the draft as a teenager, and the Lakers selected him with the 55th overall choice, making the dream come true.
“I talked about it years and years ago, and for this moment to come, it’s pretty cool,” said LeBron. “When we finally get to sit back and take it all in, it’s fairly incredible, but I’m not sure if it will truly strike us both for a minute. … However, when we checked in, we still had work to do. We had no intention of turning it into a circus. We didn’t want it to be about us. Our goal was to focus on the team.
LeBron and Bronny became part of a limited group of professional sportsmen that played together as father and son. On September 14, 1990, 34 years ago, the Griffeys made history by hitting a home run in the same game.
In 2001, Tim Raines, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and his namesake son also achieved the feat while playing for the Baltimore Orioles.
Prior to spending one NHL season with the Hartford Whalers in 1979–80 at the age of 51, Gordie Howe played hockey with his two sons, Mark and Marty, with the WHA’s Houston Aeros and Team Canada.
As he starts his NBA record-tying 22nd season, LeBron shows no indications of slowing down or regressing, in contrast to the other family couplings on this list, which occurred late in the fathers’ careers.
LeBron scored over 25 points per game for the 20th consecutive season last year. He and Anthony Davis continue to be the Lakers’ most vital players as they try to regain the form that led to a 2020 championship and the 2023 Western Conference finals.
Bronny played a shortened freshman season at the University of Southern California after surviving cardiac arrest and open heart surgery in the summer of 2023. In any case, he declared for the draft, and the Lakers gladly selected the 6-foot-2 guard with the fourth-to-last pick.
While Bronny played for the Lakers in summer league, LeBron traveled to Europe for the summer to play for the U.S. squad that won a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris. Prior to training camp, they began working out together with the Lakers.
Earlier this month, the two played together for the first time in the preseason, playing four minutes in a match versus Phoenix just outside of Palm Springs.
“It’s been a treat,” LeBron remarked during the shootaround on Tuesday morning. “In preseason, the practices, just every day … bringing him up to speed of what this professional life is all about, and how to prepare every day as a professional.”
Coach JJ Redick recently discussed a strategy with the Jameses to make it happen early in the regular season, and the Lakers were well aware of the history they would create with this combination.
Redick stated that the Lakers still intended it “to happen naturally, in the flow of the game,” but the Griffeys’ presence probably made it inevitable for opening night.
The Lakers have refrained from making any predictions regarding Bronny’s future with the NBA. Bronny probably needs more playing time to improve to a consistent NBA level because Los Angeles already has three other small guards on the team.
All of those things suggest that Bronny will probably sign with the G League’s affiliate South Bay Lakers soon. Both LeBron and Redick have expressed their admiration for the South Bay squad and stated that a crucial aspect of the Lakers’ structure is player development.
Kevin Love, a forward for Miami who was LeBron’s teammate in Cleveland and knows all of the James kids, Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri, called it “an unbelievable moment” to watch father and son play together.
“I got to watch Griffey and later Griffey Sr. since I grew up as a Mariners fan. However, this is different because LeBron continues to rank among the league’s top five players, according to Love. “Dude, this game. That’s why we have that TV agreement worth $76 billion. It’s an astonishing story, both in terms of plots and events like this. This is truly amazing to witness.
