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LeBron and Bronny James make NBA history in Lakers season opener

Vaseline October 23, 2024

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

On opening night, LeBron James and son Bronny became the first father-and-son duo to play in the same NBA game on Tuesday. Bronny made his debut with four minutes left in the second quarter and the Lakers ahead, 51-35.

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

It was the first time a father and son played in the same NBA game, let alone as teammates. LeBron, 39, and Bronny, 20, wore Lakers purple and gold — their version of matching outfits on family photo day.

Among the crowd 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 August 31, 1990.

When the Griffeys were told they would be present for the historic moment, Bronny was thrilled.

“It’s going to be crazy,” he said. “There are only two families that can do it, so it’s going to be an amazing experience, especially with what they’ve done.”

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

For a while it seemed like this might not happen. Nearly fifteen months ago, Bronny suffered cardiac arrest, putting his health and basketball career at risk. At the time, he was preparing for his freshman season at Southern California.

He made his season debut in nine games in a difficult 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 selected him in the second round with the 55th overall selection.

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

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

Follow reporter Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11

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