Bronny James is heading into history with momentum.

The son of one of the greatest NBA players ever, who will likely play alongside his famous father LeBron James in the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener Tuesday as the first father-son duo to ever play in the same game, Bronny scored a personal – career-best 17 points in the Lakers’ preseason finale Friday night in San Francisco.

The 20-year-old Bronny, picked No. 55 in the previous draft, started and logged 35 minutes in a lopsided 132-74 loss to the Golden State Warriors in which at least seven of the Lakers’ top players didn’t dress, including LeBron. The game’s top scorer was another Laker rookie, Quincy Olivari, who scored 22, while most of the Warriors’ regulars played at least a few and were led by Jonathan Kuminga’s 17 points. Steph Curry (sprained finger) did not play.

In regards to both the Lakers’ preseason and NBA Summer League roster from a few months ago, Bronny’s 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting mark his best game on offense as a pro to date. He had scored just eight points all preseason entering Friday’s action.

“It’s just a great feeling to go out there and not think as much as I do and just play,” Bronny told ESPN after the game. “(I have) a little bit of confidence going into the season, even though I might not be in that rotation, I might not play, but I’ll just go to practice, maybe G League games with that confidence in myself to to go there and play my game. I feel like that’s the biggest part of it.”

However, whatever happens on Tuesday when the Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves to open the season will count.

Bronny and LeBron have already made history by playing together in the same preseason game on October 6. No father and son have ever played in the same regular-season NBA game before, let alone on the same team, but the Lakers are widely expected to do so. make sure that happens Tuesday against Minnesota.

The Lakers play an early road game on Oct. 30 in Cleveland, where Bronny lived at two different times during his childhood. Bronny signed a four-year contract worth $7.9 million, with more money and guarantees than are usually awarded to a selected player. so close to the end of the draft.

“I think all the moments are building blocks for him and all our younger players,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said, according to ESPN. “Not just the good moments. The bad moments are learning opportunities. I think you have to have a certain amount of patience, a certain amount of optimism. I have a lot of confidence in the level of work our young boys have put in.

“So again, I think it was definitely a good feeling for him to have 17 points. … I don’t even worry about that. It’s not even on my radar. For example, we’re trying to help him grow into a great basketball player.”

(Photo: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)