LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a chunk of NBA historical past after making their long-awaited first look alongside one another for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The duo appeared collectively at the beginning of the second quarter within the Lakers’ pre-season recreation in opposition to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles.
Anticipation about when the James duo would make their first look collectively has constructed for the reason that Lakers picked Bronny with the fifty fifth choose within the NBA Draft in June.
New Lakers coach J.J. Redick, who mentioned final month that the 2 would play collectively “sooner fairly than later,” mentioned in pre-game remarks on Monday that the prospect of the James’ lining up alongside each other was “surreal.”
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LeBron & Bronny at first Media Day | 01:20
“I’m enthusiastic about it,” Redick mentioned.
“I’m very honoured that I get to be part of historical past. It’s going to occur within the circulation of the sport.”
Within the occasion, Redick launched Bronny James to the ground with the Lakers main 34-25.
LeBron James has mentioned that the prospect of taking part in with Bronny on the identical crew had given him a brand new lease on life as he enters the twenty second season of a glittering profession.
“It’s a whole lot of pleasure, a pure pleasure, to have the ability to come to work every single day, put in onerous work along with your son every single day and have the ability to see him proceed to develop,” James mentioned.
“We push one another. He pushes me. I push him. We push our teammates, and vice versa. So it’s only a very joyous second not just for myself, however for our household. So it’s fairly superior. Provides you a whole lot of life.”
Bronny in the meantime mentioned on Monday he was fuelled by the phrases of critics who’ve urged he owes his place on the Lakers roster totally to his celebrity father.
“I’m simply taking all that stuff, that criticism and backlash that individuals have given me and turning it into one thing that may gasoline me,” Bronny James mentioned.
Lakers coach Redick has insisted that Bronny James was drafted by the franchise on benefit, pushing again at ideas that the previous College of Southern California participant had been “given” a roster spot.
“Bronny has earned this by onerous work,” Redick mentioned earlier this 12 months.
“He’s going to have an ideal alternative to change into a wonderful NBA participant.”
Bronny James is anticipated to spend most of his rookie season within the developmental G-League fairly than the Lakers senior squad.
The Lakers open their 2024-2025 common season marketing campaign with a house recreation in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 22.