This was one of the symbolic goals of the end of LeBron James’ career and was achieved on Sunday, October 6. The best scorer in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and his son LeBron James Jr., known as “Bronny,” participated, with the Los Angeles Lakers jersey on his shoulder, in a preseason meeting between the Californian franchise and the Phoenix Suns. A father and son wearing the same colors is the first time in the history of the North American Basketball League.
This unique partnership has been expected since the last draft – the scholarship that allows the hiring of new players in the NBA – in June and the selection of Bronny James in 55my Lakers position. It became a reality at the beginning of the second quarter of this game played in Palm Springs, about 200 kilometers east of Los Angeles (California), the same day Bronny turned twenty years old.
“We came out of a timeout and found ourselves there, side by side. I looked at him. It was like in [le film de science-fiction] Matrix or something like that. It seemed unreal. But it was incredible”commented LeBron James, who will turn 40 at the end of December and has already scored more than 40,000 points in his career.
“A moment I will never forget”
“It is great for both of us, and even more so for our family… It is a moment that I will never forget”added “LBJ”, who extended his contract with the Lakers for two years with the prospect of playing on the court with Bronny.
The Lakers’ 118-114 loss to the Suns, two weeks before the start of the regular season, is, therefore, anecdotal. Like the statistics of the game: if the father achieved a performance worthy of his status, with 19 points in just sixteen minutes of play, the shooting guard Bronny did not score a single point, he only attempted one shot in thirteen minutes.
The pride was contagious, however, according to new Lakers coach J.-J. “I feel truly honored to have been a part of this moment in history.declared. As a basketball fan, this is great. It says something about LeBron’s longevity, his competitive spirit. And it also says all the work Bronny had to do to get there. »
Teasing
The Lakers coach’s words are also a way to reinforce the legitimacy of James Jr., who is regularly the subject of ridicule that he should only have his place as a “son of.”
Bronny James, who played last season at the American University of Southern California (USC), almost never experienced this moment. In the summer of 2023, he suffered cardiac arrest, caused by a congenital malformation, during training. Despite this medical alert, J.-J. Redick is confident in the basketball player’s future: “He’s going to have a great opportunity to become a great NBA player.”he said in July.
If the Lakers begin their regular season on October 22 at home against Minnesota, I’m not sure, however, that Bronny James’ presence is guaranteed: like many players drafted in the second round of the draft, He could spend most of the season in the G League, the NBA’s developmental league.
But for the father, happiness is already there. “It is a lot of excitement, pure joy to be able to come to work every day, work hard with your son and continue watching him grow”He savored Sunday.
