LeBron, Bronny James make history as first father-son duo to play in NBA game

As the NBA tipped off its 2024-25 season Tuesday night, history was made in Los Angeles. During the second quarter of the Lakers’ opener vs. Minnesota, LeBron James became the first father to play in a game with his son when he checked in along with his son, Bronny.

It was a long-awaited night for LeBron, who began his 22nd season against the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. He long discussed playing with Bronny in a regular-season game, although the two played in the preseason this year. Even as recently as July, he called it a “dream come true.”

Now, LeBron and Bronny James join MLB’s Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. as the father-son duos to play for the same team in the same game. In fact, the Griffeys were in attendance. It was a historic night in Los Angeles, but LeBron made clear even during shootaround on Tuesday he didn’t want to rush Bronny’s first NBA appearance.

LeBron and Bronny James enter the game and make NBA history 👏pic.twitter.com/5kjaH9edEo

— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) October 23, 2024

Of course, he’d be happy if it happened during the season opener. But he knew they’d take the floor together at some point.

“Whenever it happens, it will happen,” LeBron James said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “If it’s tonight or if it’s down the line, whenever it happens, it will happen. But it’s been a treat, and just in preseason, the practices, just every day … just bringing him up to speed of what this professional life is all about and how to prepare every day as a professional.”

The Lakers selected Bronny James with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and new coach J.J. Redick pointed out some good things he saw during the pre-draft process. But it was just over a year ago James’ journey got thrown up into the air. He suffered cardiac arrest during a workout during the summer at USC, delaying the start of his freshman season.

LeBron James pointed out the significance of his son getting to the NBA after such an event. It adds to the perspective and magnitude of Tuesday’s first appearance on the court together.

“[It was] not too long ago that the scare happened,” LeBron said. “And when he’s able to grace an NBA floor, if that’s tonight or whenever the case may be, it’ll be another one of those moments just to know the adversity that he went through.

“I’ve had a couple of family members that have had heart surgeries. Some of them older, some of them younger. And to know how long it kind of takes to get back to yourself, to see him be able to play in a college Division I game the same year that he had heart surgery was, like, a ‘wow’ moment. And I knew that at that moment that there really was going to be nothing to stop him from getting to this — to anything that he wants to do. And he wanted to continue to play basketball.”