Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James made history on Tuesday night by becoming the first player in NBA history to play in a game alongside his own son. Bronny James made his league debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves, signaling an all-time moment in the history of the sport.
But baseball fans know that the James family is the first of its kind in American sports. The original father-son duo were the Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr.
Ken Sr. played in MLB for 19 years from 1973-1991. And in his last two years, he shared the field with Ken Jr. on the Seattle Mariners.
Ken Jr. is a Hall of Famer who played for 22 seasons from 1989-2010. He debuted in MLB when he was just 19 years old and was able to share an outfield with his dad before he retired from the sport in 1991. So when it was rumored that the same history could be made in the Lakers’ season opener, the Griffeys had to show their support.
The Griffeys and the James’ met at center court prior to the game to discuss the rare moment of a father and son playing a professional sport together, via the NBA:
The Griffeys are here for LeBron & Bronny in LA! pic.twitter.com/vrTqY0Z8D5
— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2024
It’s highly unlikely that Bronny is going to surpass the legacy of his father the way that Ken Jr. did, but that’s largely because LeBron has cemented his legacy as perhaps the greatest player in the history of the sport. That will not be toppled by anyone for quite some time.
Regardless, Tuesday marked one of the coolest moments in the history of sports, and the other family to share that moment got to be in attendance to watch it happen. It’s things like these that separate sports from every other form of entertainment.
LeBron James will never forget sharing court with Bronny
LeBron James spoke after the game about that moment, saying checking in with his son is something he will never forget.
“Mission No. 1 was for us to come out and play well and to win. It was my first win on opening night as a Laker. I wanted to get that done,” LeBron said. “I think, as a team, we played as close to 48 minutes of a complete game as well as we could play in a while, so that was great. The game within the game, obviously, that moment of us being at the scorers table together and checking in together is something I will never forget no matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade as I get older, whatever. I will never forget that moment.”
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