LeBron and Bronny James Make History as First Father-Son Duo to Play Together in NBA Game

 The Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most storied franchises in sports with 17 championships, added another historic chapter on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. For the first time in NBA history, Lakers superstar LeBron James and his son, Bronny, shared the court as the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game.

LeBron, 39, making his 22nd NBA season appearance, started the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bronny, 20, made his NBA debut, joining his father on the court with four minutes remaining in the second quarter. The pair subbed in together, instantly captivating the crowd at Crypto.com Arena.

Fans erupted with applause, capturing the moment on cameras as history was made on the NBA’s opening night of its 79th season. Before stepping into the game, a heartfelt father-son moment was caught on TNT Sports, with LeBron offering Bronny some final words of advice: “You see the intensity, right? Just play carefree though. Don’t worry about mistakes. Just go out and play hard.”

Bronny played two and a half minutes during his first regular-season stint, going 0-2 in shooting but grabbing a rebound. While they played together during the preseason against the Phoenix Suns, Tuesday night’s appearance marked their official entry into the NBA record books.

Among the notable spectators was baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who attended with his father, Ken Griffey Sr. They became the first father-son duo to play in the same MLB game in 1990 with the Seattle Mariners. Reflecting on the occasion, Griffey Jr. remarked, “We made history, now we get to watch history.”

Before the game, the James and Griffey families took a memorable photo on the court, symbolizing the passing of one generational sports achievement to the next. LeBron and Bronny shared smiles and lighthearted moments during the pre-game warm-up, with LeBron thrilling the crowd with a huge block and a one-handed dunk that brought the Lakers an early 9-5 lead.

The only other instance of this multi-generational feat in major American sports belongs to the legendary Howe family in the NHL. Hockey great Gordie Howe played alongside his sons, Mark and Marty, for the Hartford Whalers during the 1979-80 season.