LeBron James and Bronny James became the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA on Tuesday as the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves on opening night.
The moment unfolded with four minutes to play in the second quarter when the two players jumped off the bench. They were met with rousing applause by the crowd at Crypto.com Arena, including Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., who were the first father and son to play together in Major League Baseball.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said before the game that the organization would be thrilled to see the two players take the court, adding that it would happen "naturally and in the flow of the game." With the Lakers up by 16 points, Redick sent them to the scorer's table.
Bronny logged 2 minutes, 41 seconds of action before he was subbed out of the game by Redick for D'Angelo Russell. He hauled in one offensive rebound while on the court and missed his lone shot attempt, set up by the elder James on a drive and kick.
The former USC guard was drafted with the 55th pick in the NBA draft after some strategic work by their agent, Rich Paul, ensured the 20-year-old would still be on the board when the Lakers were on the clock. He signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the team in July.
Redick and the Lakers wasted no time to allow LeBron and Bronny the chance to make history. They also had the opportunity to share the moment with their family, who were also seated courtside.