LeBron James and his son Bronny James made history Tuesday night as the first father and son to play in the NBA together during the Los Angeles Lakers season opener.
The two checked into the game simultaneously with four minutes remaining in the second quarter, drawing a loud cheer from the crowd, recognizing the significance of the moment. LeBron, 39, had already started the game and played 13 minutes before joining his 20-year-old son on the court.
LeBron, the NBA’s all-time top scorer, teamed up with Bronny, who was drafted by the Lakers in the second round last summer, making them the first father and son to play in the NBA at the same time, let alone on the same team.
“Y’all ready? You see the intensity, right? Just play carefree, though,” LeBron told Bronny on the bench before they entered, as captured by TNT’s cameras and microphones. “Don’t worry about mistakes. Just go out and play hard.”
The father-son duo played 2 1/2 minutes together, during which LeBron missed two perimeter shots but then made a dunk. Bronny grabbed an early rebound and missed a tip-in.
Bronny’s first NBA jump shot, a 3-pointer, narrowly missed, and he exited with 1:19 left in the second quarter to another round of applause.
LeBron, a four-time NBA champion and 20-time All-Star, had spoken of his dream to play alongside Bronny years ago when his eldest son was still in high school. That dream came true when Bronny entered the draft after one college season, and the Lakers selected him with the 55th overall pick.
“It’s been a treat,” LeBron said during the morning shootaround. “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.”
LeBron and Bronny joined an elite group of father-son athletes who played together professionally, including the Griffeys, who made history 34 years ago and even hit home runs in the same game on Sept. 14, 1990.
Baseball Hall of Famer Tim Raines and his son also achieved this with the Baltimore Orioles in 2001.
While the other father-son pairings occurred near the end of the fathers’ careers, LeBron, entering his record-tying 22nd NBA season, continues to show no signs of decline.
