LeBron James and his son, Bronny James, were able to share the court once again for the Los Angeles Lakers, connecting on a historic father-son assist in the team’s 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
While Luka Doncic had 41 points to lead the way, LeBron finished with 14 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Austin Reaves also came up big, scoring 26 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists. He and Luka combined to hit nine of the 17 three-pointers they attempted.
The Lakers also gave Bronny James time as he continues to work on improving his basketball at the professional level. He came in from the bench for four minutes of action and knocked down a three-pointer courtesy of a pass from his legendary dad.
That unique historic moment had many people talking, and both LeBron and Bronny considered it special, and the elder James discussed his son’s progress and growth as a basketball player postgame.
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“Not taking it for granted, just being in the moment of us being on the floor once again, that’s two games back-to-back playing meaningful minutes and him also making another play,” LeBron told reporters, adding, “Definitely a cool moment.”
Friday’s outing was Bronny’s second appearance in the past week. He received 13 minutes of playing time in the team’s 137-130 victory over the Indiana Pacers and finished with a full stat sheet of four points, two steals, an assist, a block, and a rebound.
Before that, Bronny last participated in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, playing only two minutes and recording one assist. He’d been spending time with the team’s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. He’s participated in six games with South Bay, playing an average of 30.9 minutes and averaging 9.5 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game.
“It’s just getting back to where it was before the incident. He’s always been able to shoot the ball. He’s shot the ball at a high level throughout his years of playing ball. So I just think the confidence, and the rhythm, and getting his strength back and his wind and everything,” LeBron said.
“Everything’s just coming back like I said before the incident. Not surprising to see him shooting the ball at a high clip,” he told reporters.
In 2023, Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during one of his basketball workouts with his former team, the USC Trojans. According to ESPN, this was caused by a treatable congenital heart defect, and after successful treatment, he was able to return to basketball four months later.
Since becoming the 55th overall pick for the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft, Bronny has often received criticism for not quickly emerging as a star player. However, he remains on a talented Lakers team that features two superstars, one of whom isn’t expected to return next season: his dad.
That would mean he’ll no longer have that father-son bond at the Lakers games, as LeBron will likely seek out a different team to play out his retirement story with. Still, King James will likely continue doing his best to set his son up for continued growth and future success in the game.
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