Lakers' LeBron James Hilariously Hazes Bronny to Welcome Him to NBA

The rookie point guard is apparently not immune to rookie hazing just because he's a 20-time All-Star's kid.

Oct 22, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) and forward LeBron James (23) guard Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. This marked the first time in NBA history that a father and son played together. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers All-Star combo forward LeBron James is making NBA history this season, as he's the first player ever to play alongside his son, L.A. rookie guard Bronny James — let alone on the same team.

It's unclear how much actual rookie hazing the 6-foot-2 point guard out of USC is undergoing, but at least for the duration of one Nike commercial, the 20-time All-Star obliterated his son's wheels with a certain delicious "Flintstones"-themed cereal.

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Bronny James was selected with the No. 55 pick late in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. He's still a pretty raw prospect, and doesn't seem quite ready to really compete at the NBA level. Understandably, first-year head coach JJ Redick has already established that he intends to primarily use the 20-year-old in the G League, playing for L.A.'s El Segundo-based NBAGL affiliate squad, the South Bay Lakers.

The former four-star prospect out of Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth made his NBA regular season debut on Tuesday, during the Lakers' season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. L.A. bested the visiting Timberwolves 110-103, behind a Herculean 36-point, 16-rebound double-double from All-NBA center Anthony Davis.

But Bronny James' debut was the big story, as he made league history by playing alongside his dad. That marked the first time in the NBA that a father and son had played alongside each other. Fittingly, the first such tandem to do so in the MLB — Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. — was on hand to bless the event. Bronny James, who is clearly not an intended part of Redick's regular season rotation, played for just 2:41 at the end of the contest's second quarter. He scored no points on 0-of-2 shooting from the floor (0-of-1 from beyond the arc), but did grab one offensive rebound. He also registered a -5 plus-minus. LeBron James, meanwhile, recorded 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field (1-of-4 from long range) and 1-of-1 shooting from the foul line, grabbed five rebounds, dished out four dimes and blocked two shots.

How much Bronny James will play against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night remains to be seen. Again, unless L.A. runs out of reserve guards, it seems probable that the younger James will be relegated to mop-up minutes in blowout game situations, at least during this first year of his NBA career. He's signed to a four-season deal, so there's still time for him to make the club's rotation yet.

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