Dwyane Wade expresses delight at Bronny James' NBA debut in LeBron James' 22nd season opener
On Tuesday, Bronny James made history as the first player to play alongside his father in the NBA. Among those to shine a light on this special moment was LeBron James' former teammate.
Leading up to opening night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, JJ Redick didn't confirm if the father-son duo would see the court. However, he ended up letting the iconic moment happen in the final minutes of the first half. With roughly four minutes to go in the second quarter, LeBron and Bronny checked into the game together.
As the game went on, Dwyane Wade was among those to praise this special moment. He shared a photo on his Instagram story of a collage of LeBron and Bronny James.
"So (fire emoji)," he wrote.
LeBron and Wade were both part of what is considered among the best draft classes ever and won a pair of championships together on the Miami Heat. The Hall of Fame guard continues to support his longtime friend as he makes history yet again.
Bronny played briefly in his NBA debut, logging under three minutes of playing time. He and LeBron tried to get their two-man game going but were unable to record a basket.
First, they were in a dribble-handoff together but failed to create enough separation for a good look. LeBron later swung the ball to Bronny for an open three, but he didn't get the shot to fall.
LeBron and Bronny James reflect on getting to play in an NBA game together
After the LA Lakers secured a 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, LeBron and Bronny James did a joint postgame interview together. The young guard was asked about this special moment and what he'd remember most from it.
"Just going up to that scorer's table with my dad, checking in for the first time," Bronny said. "That's a moment that I'll never forget. ... I'm just extremely grateful for everything."
LeBron reflected on what it was like for him to achieve his goal of playing alongside his son in the NBA.
"To be able to have this moment where I'm working still and I can work alongside my son," LeBron said. "It's one of the greatest gifts I've ever got from the man above and I'm going to take full advantage of it."
Moving forward, it is unclear when Bronny James will be in action with the Lakers again. He is expected to spend most of the year in the G-League, where he can develop his game.