From the moment the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bronny James as the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the clock started on a historic moment. The NBA has never before seen a father and a son playing at the same time. Now, LeBron James and his son will share the court on the same team. So, the question is, what will that first moment look like? When will that happen? Will Bronny get minutes from the get-go? Or will he go to the G-League and develop there? Let’s take a look at the upcoming LeBron Bronny father-son moment.
The Clock Starts Ticking on LeBron-Bronny Father Son Moment
Because of the rarity of the moment, the whole world will be watching. LeBron is already one of the most popular basketball players in the world. He brings so much attention to himself, the team, and his teammates. Now, he gets to play with his son. The question for the Lakers and their new head coach J.J. Redick will be how they address the situation. Do they wait it out, or will they rip off the band-aid? Get over it and continue from there.
Lebron and Bronny Talk About it on Media Day
This year, the positive vibes are all over the place at Lakers facility. You could see it on their first media day, everyone was happy, LeBron especially.
In his first interview, speaking about the possibility of playing with his son, he talked about his mindset, and how it shifted his perspective from a marathon that he has been on for two decades.
“It gives you a lot of life”
That might be a scary thought for people around the league. A rejuvenated James might not win an MVP award, but he is playing for a fifth championship and Finals MVP, not regular season awards. Bronny, on the other hand, said he hasn’t put much thought about how that first moment will look like, whether it will be a pass, a cheer, or anything else.
However, the two joked about a moment they had in practice, with Bronny saying the refs missed an out-of-bounds call on James while LeBron, said:
“Good offense beats good defense”
How Should the Lakers Approach it?
If we go by the words of new head coach J.J. Redick, the moment might not come soon. He is already set on a starting lineup featuring LeBron, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and D’Angelo Russell. Their guard rotation also includes Max Christie and Gabe Vincent. Bronny might be sent to the G-League for development purposes initially.
Yet, there are people in the media world who think the Lakers should just get over with it. Speaking on NBA Today, former executive and now ESPN employee Bobby Marks said,
“For me I think it would be an iconic moment if we just start Bronny game one. Minnesota at home, put them in the starting lineup, let those two play together to start the game, and then because there won’t be I don’t want to say a distraction, but a lingering moment, when are they going to play. If they are not going to play in the Minnesota game, when will it happen? Let the rest of the season play out from there”
Regardless, of it happens there is no denying it will be a special moment for LeBron and his son, but also for the league.
