Heading into the 2024-25 season, one of the most highly anticipated moments came on Opening Night as LeBron James and Bronny James shared the court for the first time in an NBA game.
The moment was inevitable after the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, though the team emphasized that selecting him was purely for basketball reasons.
LeBron and Bronny checked in together in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Opening Night, much to the delight of the Crypto.com crowd. The two shared the floor for a few minutes before head coach JJ Redick subbed Bronny out.
In an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, James recounted the moment and how special it was to play alongside Bronny for the first time, especially with Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr. in attendance:
“I was floating going out on the floor with Bronny for that home opener..
That was such an unbelievable moment for our entire family” ~ @KingJames #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Mkk2Jh565O
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 26, 2025
James also detailed how proud he is of Bronny both as his father and his teammate as the rookie has made serious progress this season:
“For me as a dad I’m just super proud of Bronny as a man..
As a mentor and as a teammate of his I’m super proud of his development as a player” @KingJames #PMSLive https://t.co/LeuG0HFuGs pic.twitter.com/bTEYJqlOmj
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 26, 2025
From listening to LeBron, the love and support he has for Bronny is apparent and he even went so far as to previously say that playing with him is his greatest accomplishment in life. It’s a testament to both players as LeBron’s taken care of his body and worked hard to play at an elite level this late into his career, while Bronny bounced back from a scary healthy incident and now appears to be back on track.
The Lakers have always been drawn to storylines and making history, so they were the perfect organization to have the first father-son duo play together in the NBA. Having Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr. there probably made the moment that much more special for LeBron
While the decision to draft Bronny was initially met with criticism and hate, it hasn’t deterred the rookie from focusing on his craft and developing behind the scenes in the G League. LeBron has every reason to be happy and proud of Bronny and it’ll be fun to see where the latter’s NBA career takes him.
LeBron James says Bronny James is locked in despite outside criticism
Bronny James is mature beyond his years which is why it wasn’t surprising to hear LeBron James say his son is locked in despite any outside criticism.
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