Former NBA champ eager to see LeBron James and Bronny James' first 'alley-oop' after sharing floor together
LA Lakers superstar forward LeBron James and his son, Lakers rookie guard Bronny James, made history by playing together during Sunday's NBA preseason outing. Amid the father-son duo's debut, LeBron's former teammate Dwight Howard expressed eagerness to see them collaborate for a highlight play.
Bronny, the No. 55 pick in this year's draft, made his preseason debut on Friday during LA's 124-107 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, his father, entering his record-tying 22nd season, took the night off to rest, watching him from the sidelines.
Two days later, LeBron returned to the Lakers' lineup against the Phoenix Suns, allowing him and Bronny to take the court together. While LeBron started the game, Bronny subbed in alongside the four-time MVP to open the second quarter, creating a historic moment.
LeBron and Bronny became not only the first father-son duo to play together but also the first to play in the NBA at the same time.
Midway through Sunday's contest, Howard, who played two seasons alongside LeBron with LA, reacted to a photo of his ex-teammate and his son on X/Twitter. The 2020 NBA champion highlighted his anticipation to see LeBron and Bronny execute their first alley-oop play.
"I can't wait to see a James-to-James oop," Howard said.
Bronny ultimately struggled in his first preseason appearance alongside his father, going scoreless and assistless with two rebounds in 13 minutes. Meanwhile, he racked up four turnovers and three fouls as the Lakers fell 118-114.
However, Bronny is expected to experience growing pains in Year 1 after struggling offensively in his lone college season at USC.
As for LeBron, he tallied a game-high 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two 3-pointers on 66.7% shooting in just 16 minutes. Thus, he looks poised to continue defying Father Time in Year 22.
Following Sunday's loss, LA has four more preseason outings lined up, beginning with Thursday's road matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
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JJ Redick excited to orchestrate LeBron James and Bronny James' historic season as teammates
Lakers coach JJ Redick is also among those excited for LeBron James and Bronny James' historic season as teammates. Ahead of Sunday's preseason contest, Redick underscored how honored he was to orchestrate the father-son duo's momentous debut.
"It's surreal. They're doing two-on-two pick-and-rolls together in practice. It will be fun when they're on the court together," Redick said. "I'm excited about it. I'm very honored that I get to be part of history."
Redick has been non-committal about Bronny's regular-season role. Nevertheless, late last month, he noted that he would ensure the rookie takes the floor with his father early in the 2024-25 campaign.
"In terms of that moment, yeah, we've talked about it and we've thought about it, and we'll get it done," Redick said. "[I] don't want to commit to anything right now, but that's going to happen, and that's going to happen sooner rather than later."
LeBron James and Co. will kick off their regular-season schedule at home against Minnesota on Oct. 22.
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