Bronny James’ NBA career has officially begun.
He took the court with 4:00 left in the second quarter alongside his father, LeBron James, becoming the first father-son duo to play a regular season NBA game together during the Lakers’ season opener against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The 20-year-old James makes his pro debut after being drafted in the second round (No. 55 overall) by the Lakers in the 2024 draft.
Bronny played one season at USC before making the jump to the NBA, averaging 4.8 points on 36.6 percent shooting with the Trojans.
In six preseason games, Bronny struggled to get his footing, averaging just 4.2 points on 29.7 percent shooting while going 1-for-12 from 3, although he put up a solid performance in the Lakers’ preseason finale on Friday with 17 points.
During Lakers shootaround on Tuesday, LeBron addressed potentially taking the court with his son on the big stage.
“Whenever it happens, it will happen,” LeBron said. “If it’s tonight or if it’s down the line, whenever it happens, it will happen. But it’s been a treat, and just in preseason, the practices, just every day … just bringing him up to speed of what this professional life is all about and how to prepare every day as a professional.”
Ken Griffey Sr. and his Hall of Fame son, the first father-son duo in the history of Major League Baseball, were in attendance in Los Angeles to witness history in the NBA on Tuesday night.
“It’s going to be insane,” Bronny said of the Griffey’s going to the game. “Only two families to do it, so it’s going to be a crazy experience, especially with what they’ve done.”