When it comes to the NBA and history, it seems to always be associated with the Los Angeles Lakers and their franchise.
Whether it’s the 16 championships they have won, or all the hall of fame players to wear the purple and gold, or players breaking some sort of record. Something iconic happens in this league and the Lakers might be involved, and Tuesday night was no different.
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On opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season history again was made in LA, up 16 points (51-35) with 4 minutes left in the 2nd quarter against Minnesota, LeBron James along with his son Bronny James Jr. checked into the game together for the first ever father-son duo to ever play in a game together.
“That moment, us being at the scorer’s table together and checking in together, something I will never forget,” LeBron said after scoring 16 in a joint postgame news conference with Bronny. “No matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade as I get older or whatever, I will never forget that moment.”
LA were outscored 7-2 in their 2 minutes and 41 seconds together, with Bronny missing an open three-pointer on the wing and getting blocked on a tip-in attempt after corralling an offensive rebound.
Related: Bronny James has breakout game after early preseason struggles
Before the game, first-year head coach JJ Redick said he was “thrilled to be a part” of the “historic” occasion of LeBron and Bronny entering the season on the same team. Redick said he consulted the father and son to get their input on how they would prefer their first game action together to play out.
“We had a couple conversations around it,” Redick said. “I think everybody is on the same page. We want it to sort of make sense, and we want it to happen naturally and in the flow of a game.”
Another father-son duo to accomplish this historic feat was done in major league baseball back in 1990 by Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr., were also in attendance to be part of this moment.
Lakers superstar Anthony Davis who had a huge night scoring 36 points to go along with a 16 rebounds (both game-highs) said about that witnessing that moment, “This is the first time we had a LeBron moment that was something huge and we won,” he said, referring to scoring milestones James had reached last season that came during losses. “Every other thing we’ve always lost, so it kind of kills the moment. But it was a special moment for everybody.”
That will be a moment James and his family, who were all in attendance, will never forget.
Chrys Henderson is a writer for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him on X @ChrysNBA.
