LeBron and Bronny James make history as first father-son duo to play in NBA game together

Posted by Admin October 23, 2024 NBA

LOS ANGELES — In the annals of father-and-son experiences, a now historic one must be added to the list.

LeBron J a mes and son Bronny became the first father-and-son duo to play in the same NBA game Tuesday, on opening night. Bronny made his debut with four minutes remaining in the second quarter and the Lakers leading, 51-35.

LeBron and Bronny shared the court at Crypto.com Arena during the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It marked the first time a father and son have played in the same NBA game, much less as teammates. LeBron, 39, and Bronny, 20, wore Lakers purple and gold – their version of matching outfits on family picture day.

Among the throng of fans in attendance was another father-son duo — former MLB stars Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., who played their first game together with the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 31, 1990.

When told the Griffeys planned to be in attendance for the historic moment, Bronny was thrilled.

“It’s going to be insane,” he said. “Only two families to do it, so it’s going to be a crazy experience, especially with what they’ve done.”

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In recent years, LeBron, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, talked about his desire to play with his oldest son.

For a while, it seemed that may not happen. Almost 15 months ago, Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest that left his health and basketball career in question. At the time he was preparing for his freshman season at Southern California.

He made his season debut nine games into a trying season.

After averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists at Southern California, Bronny declared for the NBA draft despite questions about his readiness for professional basketball.

The Lakers picked him in the second round with the 55th overall selection.

LeBron and Bronny took the court together during the first game of what turned out to be a challenging preseason for Bronny. In six games, he was 9-of-37 from the field, including 1-for-12 from 3-point range. But he demonstrated athleticism and intelligence on defense before the 2024-25 regular season commenced.

“… It’s been a treat, and just in preseason, the practices, just every day … just bringing him up to speed of what this professional life is all about and how to prepare every day as a professional,” LeBron said after Lakers shootaround Tuesday morning, according to ESPN.

Follow reporter Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11

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