NEW DELHI: LeBron James and his son, Bronny, made NBA history on Sunday night by playing together for the first time. This notable event took place during the Los Angeles Lakers‘ preseason game against Phoenix at Acrisure Arena in the Coachella Valley.
LeBron and Bronny are the first father and son to play in an NBA game simultaneously. This historic moment coincided with Bronny’s 20th birthday.
Bronny entered the game as a substitute at the start of the second quarter, joining his father on the court.The crowd cheered upon hearing Bronny’s name.
LeBron is entering his 22nd NBA season. Bronny, drafted in the second round by the Lakers this summer, played one season at Southern California before joining the team. He recovered from cardiac arrest over a year ago.
Their initial time on the court together saw some challenges. Bronny committed two turnovers and LeBron made another. LeBron then hit a 3-pointer and set up a screen for Bronny, who missed his 3-point attempt. Bronny was substituted 4:09 into the second quarter, and LeBron followed 25 seconds later.
LeBron, who will turn 40 in December, is still performing at a high level. He has long spoken about his dream of playing in the NBA with one of his sons. The Lakers made this possible by drafting Bronny with the 55th pick.
Bronny, at 6-foot-2, is expected to improve his skills with the South Bay Lakers of the G League but is likely to play alongside his 6-foot-9 father in the regular season. Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated, “We have discussed the logistics of the next historic moment.”
LeBron rested during the Lakers’ preseason opener against Minnesota last Friday. Bronny scored two points and blocked three shots in 16 minutes in that game.
The Lakers have four more preseason games before the regular season begins at home against Minnesota on Oct. 22.
LeBron and his wife, Savannah Brinson, became parents to Bronny in 2004. They have two other children, Bryce and Zhuri.
LeBron and Bronny have been preparing to play together by scrimmaging during Lakers’ training sessions. They have practiced as both teammates and opponents. Coach Redick mentioned that they “even run pick-and-rolls together in preparation.”
In North American professional sports, few father-son duos have played together. Examples include Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. in MLB and Gordie Howe with his sons Marty and Mark in hockey.
