LeBron James and Bronny James have made NBA history after both playing for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Phoenix Suns.
The pair became the first father-son duo ever to feature together in a game for the same NBA team during Sunday night’s pre-season contest at Acrisure Arena in California.
LeBron, who turns 40 in December, started for the Lakers in their second pre-season game after sitting out Saturday’s 124-107 defeat by the Minnesota Timberwolves, while Bronny - a rookie drafted by the Lakers in June with the 55th pick out of USC - came in off the bench early in the second quarter to share the historic moment with his dad on the occasion of his 20th birthday.
James Sr ended up with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists as he played 16 minutes of a 118-114 loss to the Suns, while Bronny was held scoreless as he claimed two rebounds in 13 minutes on the court.
WOW THAT WAS SURREAL!! 🥺🥺🥺🙌🏾🙌🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 7, 2024
After the game, LeBron, an NBA icon, the league’s all-time leading scorer and record 20-time All-Star set to enter his 22nd season, took to X and said: “Wow that was surreal.”
Speaking to reporters, he said: "It's pretty cool for the both of us, and especially for our family. It's definitely a moment that I will never forget.
"For a father, it means everything. For someone who didn't have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have that influence on your son, be able to have moments with your son — and the ultimate, to be able to work with your son — that's one of the greatest things that a father could ever hope for or wish for."
Bronny said: "I was pretty psyched for that. I'm always thinking about, 'That's my dad!', because that's literally my dad. But when I'm playing, he's just my teammate. That's all.”
The duo will hope to share the court again when JJ Redick’s Lakers continue their pre-season preparations against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, with two games against the Golden State Warriors sandwiched between another meeting with the Suns next week.
The Lakers - who lost 4-1 to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the Western Conference play-offs last season after initially winning a play-in game against the New Orleans Pelicans to claim the seventh seed - begin the 2024/25 NBA regular season at home against the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on October 22.
Any lingering doubts about the father-son duo playing together after the Lakers drafted Bronny were quashed back in July, with LeBron opting out of the final year of his previous contract as expected before reportedly agreeing a new two-year deal in LA worth $101.35million that is said to include a no-trade clause.
Bronny is one of three children that LeBron has with wife Savannah James, along with another son Bryce - 17 and currently playing as a shooting guard for Sierra Canyon High School - and daughter Zhuri Nova.
