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LeBron, Bronny James Combine for Heartfelt Interview After Historic Lakers Opener

The father-son duo joined the TNT broadcast after the Lakers' season-opening win.

Tom Dierberger

LeBron James and his son Bronny played just under three minutes together in the Lakers' win over the Timberwolves.
LeBron James and his son Bronny played just under three minutes together in the Lakers' win over the Timberwolves. / TNT
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The James family will remember Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena for the rest of time.

In the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' 110–103 season-opening win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, 39-year-old LeBron James checked into the game alongside his son, 20-year-old Bronny James. After months of anticipation, the two Lakers officially became the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA game.

"Going up to the scorer's table with my dad and checking in for the first time, that's a crazy moment I will never forget," Bronny James said on the TNT broadcast after the Lakers' win.

LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, reflected on what the moment meant to him.

"It's always been family over everything," LeBron James said. "For me, I lost a lot of time because of this league, committing to this league, being on the road on times, missing a lot of [Bronny's] things, Bryce's things, Zhuri's things. So, to be able to have this moment where I'm working still and I can work alongside my son—it's one of the greatest gifts I've ever got from the man above. I'm going to take full advantage of it."

The father-son duo spent 2:41 on the court together in the second quarter. In those minutes, Bronny James was credited with one offensive rebound on a put-back attempt and finished 0-for-2 from the field. He missed an open three-pointer from 28 feet but held his own on the floor.

The elder James tipped off his 2024-25 season on a positive note, scoring 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting to go along with five rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes.

LeBron, Bronny and the Lakers (1–0) return to the floor Friday night to host the Phoenix Suns.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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