The Los Angeles Lakers lost to Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night, but history was still made in Palm Springs, California. At noon of the second quarter, LeBron James and Bronny James shared the court together, marking the first time a father and son played side by side on an NBA court.
LeBron, 39, is entering his 22nd season, his seventh with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bronny, 20, was the Lakers’ second-round pick in the 2024 draft after spending one season at USC.
Bronny made his preseason debut Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 16 minutes in a game the Lakers lost 124-107. LeBron made his debut Sunday night, leading the Lakers with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Bronny played 13 minutes and was held scoreless.
Our NBA insiders break down this historic night, from what Bronny showed on the court during training camp and two preseason games, to what more he needs to prove to get real, meaningful NBA minutes .
What Bronny has shown on the field so far
Above all, he showed a level of competitiveness defensively and on the ball. That was clear in the three blocks he made in 16 minutes of work in the Lakers’ preseason opener last week. (Bronny also showed off his defensive work ethic during the first defensive possession he shared with LeBron, during which the Lakers forced a turnover, with father and son serving together as swarming stoppers at the top of the lane. key.)
Bronny isn’t always error-free on D. He fouled a three-point shot in the final two minutes of a close game Sunday, for example. But he has very quick feet and is physically strong enough to occasionally pick people up. That’s the good news. The challenge is the other side of the coin: creating your own offense, and doing it effectively, won’t be easy. Especially considering the demands of the position he holds and the fact that minutes won’t be free once games start counting for something.
He had three turnovers in his first three minutes of action Sunday (and four errors total), including committing a moving infraction and an illegal screen. Beyond that, the 20-year-old has gone 1-for-7 so far in the Lakers’ first two preseason games — an early indication that he’ll likely need to work as much as he can to develop his attack. training margins and downtime after the regular season kicks off. —Chris Herring
Where Bronny James is ready for the rotation and where he is not
For Bronny to crack the Lakers rotation, it would have to come at the expense of last year’s first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino and veteran guard Gabe Vincent.
If he gets occasional minutes during the regular season, it will be thanks to his strong defensive presence.
James can hold his own there, as evidenced by his blocking of the Timberwolves’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s pursuit in the exhibition opener. He finished the game by blocking two more shots. In the Lakers’ second preseason game, he harassed veteran point guard Tyus Jones and even defended forward Royce O’Neale.
“He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique, and I think he can become a really disruptive defender,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after the Minnesota game. “It showed up. On the offensive side, he’s still figuring out who he is. That’s our job as a player development program, just to integrate it.
Indeed, his offense continues to be a work in progress.
His Summer League struggles have carried over into the two preseason games so far. In Sunday’s game against the Suns, Redick made it a priority to surround James with shooters Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht; last season at USC, James shot 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from three-point range.
With G-League training camp not starting until October 28 and the South Bay Lakers’ first game on November 9, expect Bronny James to be on the Lakers’ active roster to start the season, even if its role is not yet defined. -Bobby Marks
What these shared minutes between LeBron and Bronny mean – for now
What did you do to celebrate your 20th birthday? For Bronny, his first time playing with his father in an NBA game was with Kevin Durant, who has known Bronny since he was a toddler, on the other side.
Father and son acted completely nonchalant, as if it was a typical Sunday evening, but, of course, it was special. The crowd knew it too. The first time LeBron passed the ball to Bronny, you could hear the fans murmuring in anticipation. And it was just a tease. When it happens in the regular season, it will be a truly unique moment in league history. —Brian Windhorst