LOS ANGELES.- LeBron James and Bronny James They became the first father and son duo to play together in the NBA on Tuesday night, during the Los Angeles Lakers’ opening game of this season.
The two entered the game together with four minutes left in the second quarter, which unleashed a huge applause from the local fans, aware of the unprecedented event. LeBron had already started the match and played 13 minutes before joining his 20-year-old son to make history.
LeBron James, 39, is the greatest scorer in NBA history, while Bronny was drafted in the second round by the Lakers this summer. They are the first father and son to play at the same time in the best basketball league in the world.
Of course, much less had been seen that a father and son duo played on the same team.
“Are you totally ready? You can see the intensity, right?” Just play without worries,” the father suggested to his son on the bench before they both entered during a break. “Don’t worry about mistakes. Just go out and play hard.”
LeBron and Bronny played two and a half minutes together on the court. The father missed two perimeter shots before making a dunk. Bronny grabbed a rebound and missed a jumper in which he had to push the ball toward the hoop.
Bronny’s first shot in the NBA was a three-pointer that just fell short. He left with 1:19 left in the second quarter, amid another applause.
Bronny did not return to the game that the Lakers won 110-103 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
LeBron, who finished with 16 points, offered an interview on the court with Bronny, before both headed to the locker room.
Along the way, they stopped to hug Savannah James, LeBron’s wife and Bronny’s mother.
Special spectators
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. sat courtside at the Lakers’ downtown arena to witness the same history they made in the Major Leagues. The two players played together in 51 games for the Seattle Mariners in 1990 and 1991 as the first father-son duo in baseball.
The Jameses and Griffeys gathered during pregame warmups for photos and warm conversation between two notable family lines.
LeBron, a four-time NBA champion and 20-time All-Star, initially spoke about his dream of playing alongside Bronny a few years ago while his oldest son was in high school. The dream became a reality after Bronny entered the draft as a teenager following his college season and the Lakers selected him with the 55th overall pick.
“It’s been a pleasure,” LeBron said during morning shootaround. “In the preseason, in practice, almost every day, I have been able to have him here to accelerate everything that this professional life is about and how to prepare for each day”
The Griffeys made history 34 years ago. They hit home runs in the same game, on September 14, 1990.
Tim Raines, a member of the baseball Hall of Fame, also played with his son for the Baltimore Orioles in 2001.
