PALM DESERT, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James and his son, Bronny, made NBA history Sunday night time once they performed together for the first time throughout the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason recreation in opposition to Phoenix.
LeBron and Bronny are the first father and son to play in any NBA recreation at the similar time, not to mention on the similar crew. The James household’s outstanding second coincidentally occurred on Bronny’s twentieth birthday.
Bronny James entered the recreation instead to start the second quarter, becoming a member of his father on the courtroom out of the timeout. The crowd at Acrisure Arena in the Coachella Valley cheered at the point out of Bronny’s identify.
LeBron James is starting his record-tying twenty second season in the NBA, whereas LeBron James Jr. — identified to all as Bronny — was the Lakers’ second-round draft decide this summer season. After recovering from cardiac arrest over a 12 months in the past, Bronny performed only one season at Southern California earlier than getting into the draft and becoming a member of the Lakers.
Things weren’t instantly easy for the James household: Bronny dedicated two turnovers and LeBron made one other of their first two minutes together. Shortly after LeBron hit a 3-pointer moments later, LeBron acquired the ball to Bronny and set a display screen for his son’s 3-point try, however Bronny missed.
Bronny got here off for a substitute 4:09 into the second quarter, and LeBron got here off 25 seconds later at the subsequent lifeless ball.
Although LeBron will flip 40 in late December, the prime scorer in NBA history has proven no signal of slowing down with age. He has spoken for years about his longtime dream of playing in the NBA with one in all his sons, and the Lakers made it a actuality once they grabbed Bronny with the fifty fifth decide in the draft.
The 6-foot-2 Bronny is anticipated to spend a lot of the upcoming season engaged on his recreation with the South Bay Lakers of the G League, however he'll nearly actually get to play alongside his 6-foot-9 father in an actual recreation early in the common season.
Head coach JJ Redick stated the Lakers have already got mentioned the logistics of the subsequent historic second, however he hasn’t predicted when it would occur.
LeBron sat out of the Lakers’ preseason opener in opposition to Minnesota final Friday night time, resting up after a full week of coaching camp following a busy summer season. Bronny had two factors on 1-for-6 taking pictures and three blocked pictures whereas playing 16 minutes in opposition to the Timberwolves.
The Lakers have 4 extra preseason video games — all outdoors Los Angeles whereas their dwelling area is being renovated — earlier than they start the common season at dwelling in opposition to Minnesota on Oct. 22.
LeBron was early in his second NBA season with the Cleveland Cavaliers when he and his highschool sweetheart, Savannah Brinson, grew to become dad and mom for the first time in 2004. They had two extra kids — son Bryce and daughter Zhuri.
LeBron and Bronny have been getting ready for the probability to play together ever since LeBron returned from a summer season trip after profitable a gold medal with the U.S. crew at the Paris Olympics. Anthony Davis additionally made his preseason debut in opposition to the Suns after a equally busy summer season.
The father and son have scrimmaged together repeatedly throughout exercises at the Lakers’ coaching advanced, each as teammates and opponents. Redick stated they’ve even run pick-and-rolls together in preparation.
In the common season, they’ll be a part of a brief listing of fathers and sons who've shared a playing area in North American skilled sports activities. Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. performed together with the Seattle Mariners throughout components of the 1990 and 1991 MLB seasons, whereas hockey nice Gordie Howe performed along with his sons Marty and Mark for the WHA’s Houston Aeros and the NHL’s Hartford Whalers.
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