On October 6th, in a historic moment for the NBA, LeBron James and his son Bronny James shared the court during the Los Angeles Lakers’ second preseason game against the Phoenix Suns. This marked the first time in NBA history that a father and son played together on the same team. Unfortunately, the Lakers fell short, losing the game 114-118.
LeBron, who missed the Lakers’ first preseason game, returned to the starting lineup alongside Anthony Davis for this matchup. In just 16 minutes of play, LeBron showcased his skills, scoring 19 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and providing 4 assists. One standout moment was his impressive left-handed layup, which completed a three-point play, clearly defying the reality that he will turn 40 at the end of this year.
However, the main excitement of the evening was centered around the potential for LeBron and Bronny to play together. Lakers head coach J.J. Redick didn’t keep fans waiting long; just as the second quarter began, he put both James players on the court together, eliciting a wave of cheers from the crowd.
Bronny, feeling the weight of the moment, experienced some growing pains, committing two turnovers right away. Overall, he played 13 minutes but struggled to find his rhythm, going 0-for-1 from the field, notching 2 rebounds, and recording 4 turnovers.
Historically, American professional sports have seen fathers and sons play together at the professional level four times, with occurrences in the NFL, NHL, and MLB. Most famously, Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr. made history in 1990 as the first father-son duo to play on the same MLB team and even hit back-to-back home runs in a game.
Bronny was selected by the Lakers in the second round of the recent NBA Draft, coming in at the 55th pick, with many believing his selection was more symbolic than practical. Now just 20 years old, his early performance in the Lakers’ preseason suggests that he may spend some time in the development league to further hone his skills as the regular season approaches.
