Obviously the big story coming out of the Los Angeles Lakers preseason contest against the Phoenix Suns was LeBron James and Bronny James becoming the first father-son duo to share the court together in NBA history. It was a surreal moment and also one that head coach JJ Redick planned on happening at some point during the contest.
With LeBron making his preseason debut on Sunday, most assumed that moment would come and Redick actually told both prior to the game that it was going to happen. It ultimately did at the start of the second quarter and Redick revealed why he chose that time.
“That was during a stretch where I think we had some issues with our transition defense and just getting matched,” Redick said after the Lakers fell to the Suns. “But I liked what I saw throughout the first half from all the groups we tried. In terms of the why, just wanted to get them a chance to play together in preseason within the flow of the game and how we had done the substitution patterns in game one. That was the right time to do it.”
In the Lakers preseason opener, Bronny got his first minutes at the start of the second quarter so this was right in line with that. It was a moment that neither LeBron or Bronny will ever forget and Redick also felt very happy to be a part of that history as well.
“I’m thrilled that I get to be a part of this. I really am,” Redick added. “It’s cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron’s longevity, but also his competitive stamina that he’s able to still be doing this in Year 22. It speaks to the work that Bronny has put in to get to this point and really just the fatherly care and love, and certainly the motherly care from Savannah as well.
“Bronny’s such a great kid and he’s a pleasure to be around. I was really hoping that wing three on the little side DHO had gone in. That would have been a cool moment, but they’ll have a lot of moments together, I’m sure.”
Bronny knocking down that 3-pointer would have made for an unbelievable moment without a doubt, but it simply wasn’t meant to be on this night. But as Redick said, there will be other moments for LeBron and Bronny to share with the Lakers.
Lakers’ LeBron James opens up on sharing court with Bronny James for first time
There is simply nothing that can compare to the feeling LeBron James had, sharing the court with Bronny James in the Lakers’ preseason contest against the Suns. Even after the game, LeBron still couldn’t quite wrap his head around that moment.
“Not real,” James said. “We’ll kind of get used to it, but it’s pretty cool. It’s pretty cool for the both of us, and especially for our family. It’s definitely a moment that I will never forget.”
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