(LOS ANGELES) — Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James — the NBA’s all-time leading scorer — and his son Bronny James make NBA history Oct. 22, taking to the court together as the Lakers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener.
As the father-son duo teamed up, the rest of the James family watched the game unfold at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, including mom Savannah James, son Bryce and daughter Zhuri.
“Going up to the scorer’s table with my dad and checking in for the first time was a crazy moment I will never forget,” Bronny James said after the Lakers defeated the Timberwolves.
“It’s always been family over everything, so to be able to have this moment where I’m working still and I could work alongside my son is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever got from the man above and I’m going to take full advantage of it,” LeBron James added.
LeBron James had 16 points in 35 minutes, while Bronny James did not score in the three minutes he played in his NBA debut.
Earlier in October, the Jameses also made history when they became the first father and son to play in an NBA preseason game together.
Bronny James is a guard with the Lakers, having been selected by the team in the 2024 NBA Draft.
“For a father, it means everything,” the elder James, a forward, said following the Lakers’ Oct. 6 preseason game against the Phoenix Suns. “For someone who didn’t have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have influence on your son, to be able to have moments with your son and then ultimately, to be able to work with your son, I think that’s one of the greatest things that a father could ever hope for or wish for.”
LeBron James’ family often cheers him on at games, including at the 2024 Paris Olympics earlier this year, as the U.S. men’s basketball team won gold.
The Akron, Ohio, native has said he takes fatherhood seriously, having grown up without his own dad present in his life, and he prioritizes being present with his kids.
Although two of his kids — sons Bronny and Bryce James — have followed him onto the basketball court, LeBron James has said he doesn’t pressure them to play the sport.
“I’ve always let them just see if they had a love for [basketball]. Because, at the end of the day, nothing is going to come to fruition if you’re just doing it because you feel like it’s what your parents are doing. Nah, it’s going to fizzle out too fast,” he told Sports Illustrated in a 2022 cover interview with his sons.
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