LeBron and Bronny James make NBA history in Lakers season opener

Lakers star LeBron James prepares to shoot while next to son Bronny before a preseason game in Las Vegas. (John Locher / Associated Press)

Part plan, part pipe dream, Lakers star LeBron James and oldest son Bronny became the first father and son to share an NBA court together — a milestone celebrating the elder James’ longevity and the younger James’ resilience.

With four minutes left in the second quarter Tuesday night in the season opener against Minnesota at Crypto.com Arena, father and son checked into the game together to make history.

Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., the first father and son to play on the same team in Major League Baseball, attended the game. Hockey legend Gordie Howe and MLB Hall of Famer Tim Raines also played with their children as teammates on the highest professional levels.

LeBron James set the moment in motion in 2018 when he set the goal of playing with his oldest son as a finish-line moment. Two years later, he said playing with Bronny on the same team would be a “dream.”

This year at the NBA draft, it became reality.

The Lakers used the 55th pick to select Bronny James despite an underwhelming first season at USC where he averaged 4.8 points per game.

Read more: JJ Redick’s earnest approach leads the Lakers into new era

James, though, didn’t debut for the Trojans until Dec. 10 because of a near-death ordeal during a summer workout on USC’s campus. James went into cardiac arrest and lost consciousness on July 25, 2023. USC athletic trainers used life-saving measures, including a defibrillator. He would later undergo surgery to correct a congenital heart defect.

“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,” LeBron James said Tuesday morning. “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…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lebron-bronny-james-nba-history-025711933.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2024-10-23 02:57:00

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