Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Los Angeles Lakers bow
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Bronny James and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers warm up prior to the game against the Phoenix Suns at Acrisure Arena.
PHOTO: AFP
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LOS ANGELES – LeBron James and eldest son Bronny claimed a piece of National Basketball Association (NBA) history on Oct 6 after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 pre-season defeat by the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles, earning cheers from the crowd at Acrisure Arena.
While LeBron impressed with 19 points in just 16min 20sec on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one shot.
“It was cool for both of us, especially our family,” LeBron, 39, said afterwards of playing alongside Bronny, who celebrated his 20th birthday on the day. “It’s definitely a moment I’ll never forget.
“As a father it means everything. For someone who didn’t have a dad growing up, to be able to have that influence on your son, to be able to have moments with your son, to work with your son – that’s one of the greatest things a father could ever hope for.”
Bronny committed two turnovers during his first two minutes playing alongside his father.
After passing the ball to his son, LeBron set a screen for Bronny, but the teenager missed an attempt from three-point range later in the second quarter.
LeBron revealed that there were moments on court that felt surreal.
“We came out of a timeout and we kind of stood next to each other. I kind of looked at him,” he said.
“It was like being in ‘The Matrix’ or something. It just didn’t feel real. But it was great to have those moments.”
Anticipation about when the James duo would become the first father-son duo to appear in the same NBA line-up together has built since the Lakers chose Bronny with the 55th pick in the NBA Draft in June.
“I’m thrilled that I get to be a part of this,” new Lakers coach J.J. Redick said after the James double-act.
“It’s cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to the longevity of LeBron and his competitive stamina. And it speaks to the work that Bronny has done to get to this point.”
Redick introduced Bronny to the floor with the Lakers leading 34-25 in the second quarter.
LeBron also said that playing with Bronny on the same team has given him a new lease on life as he enters the 22nd season of a glittering career, in which he won the NBA championship four times.
“It’s a lot of excitement, a pure joy, to be able to come to work every day, put in hard work with your son every day and be able to see him continue to grow,” he said.
“We push each other. He pushes me. I push him. We push our teammates, and vice versa.
“So it’s just a very joyous moment not only for myself, but for our family.
“So it’s pretty awesome. Gives you a lot of life.”
Bronny, meanwhile, said at the Lakers recent media day he was fuelled by the words of critics who have suggested he owes his place on the Lakers roster entirely to his superstar father.
“I’m just taking all that stuff, that criticism and backlash that people have given me and turning it into something that can fuel me,” he said.
However, he is expected to spend most of his rookie season in the developmental G-League rather than the Lakers senior squad.
The Lakers open their 2024-2025 regular season campaign with a home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct 22. AFP, REUTERS
