Reactions pour in after LeBron and Bronny James make history as NBA's first father-son duo

Circle this date on your calendar forever: October 22, 2024.

It’s hard to find the right words for what happened Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers tipped off their season against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 110-103 victory, their first opening-night win in eight years, but the real story wasn’t about the scoreboard. 

It was about a father and his son, sharing the hardwood, making history in front of thousands of fans and millions watching from home.

LeBron James, in his 22nd NBA season, and his son, Bronny, took the floor together, marking the first time in league history that a father-son duo played for the same team in the same game. 

It was a moment that transcended basketball — an achievement only dreamed about in backyard pickup games and family conversations, now fully realized under the bright lights of the NBA.

The moment happened with just over four minutes left in the second quarter. As the two Jameses stood at the scorer’s table, waiting to check in, the arena buzzed with anticipation. It wasn’t just a substitution; it was a historic torch passing, a rare blending of two generations on the same court.

After the game, LeBron reflected on the moment with a smile that hinted at both pride and disbelief. "Obviously that moment, being at the scorer’s table together, checking in together, that’s something I’ll never forget," he said, almost as if he still couldn't believe it happened. 

For a man who’s seen and done nearly everything in the sport, this was a new chapter in his storied career.

Bronny, on the other hand, had his own whirlwind of emotions. Making his NBA debut alongside the player he grew up idolizing — not just because LeBron is a global icon, but because he’s his father — was overwhelming. 

"I tried not to focus on everything that’s going on around me. I was just trying to focus on going into the game as a rookie and not trying to mess up," Bronny said, reflecting the grounded wisdom his father undoubtedly passed down. “I felt the energy and I appreciate Laker Nation for showing support for me and my dad."

#Lakers teammates LeBron and Bronny James doing their first postgame press conference together as father and son. #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/y7GB9PtH3L

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) October 23, 2024

In his brief time on the floor, Bronny had two attempts at scoring, including a 3-pointer off a pass from his dad, but neither found the bottom of the net. Still, it wasn’t about the stats. This was about something bigger — family, legacy and the rare opportunity to live out an impossible dream.

“We wanted that three to go in,” said Lakers center Anthony Davis, who had a whopping 36 points in the win and was on the court when LeBron and Bronny checked in. “Looking at them check in at the same time at the scorer’s table, it gave me chills. Everyone in the arena stood up. It was special.”

LeBron sealed the iconic moment with an emphatic dunk just before halftime, leaving the crowd and his son in awe. 

The LeBron cut.
The Reaves dime.
The LeBron flush.

Beautiful basketball on TNT! #KiaTipOff24 pic.twitter.com/RlSIxtIKcg

— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2024

NBA fans and players alike lit up social media in response, including Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young, who tweeted, "This gotta be the coolest thing ever to play a professional sport with your kid. That’s different!" 

Gotta be the coolest thing ever to play a PROFESSIONAL SPORT with your kid🫡That’s Different!

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) October 23, 2024

NFL star Cam Jordan chimed in with a simple but powerful “Legendary.” 

Legendary! https://t.co/sUzfR7epSm

— Cam Jordan (@camjordan94) October 23, 2024

While Fox Sports’ Nick Wright and Emmanuel Acho couldn’t help but marvel at LeBron’s superhuman feat: "The fact that LeBron James is simultaneously a) athletic enough to pull this dunk off while being b) old enough to be the father of one of the other nine players on the court is incomprehensible."

The fact that LeBron James is simultaneously a) athletic enough to pull this dunk off while being b) old enough to be the *father of one of the other 9 players on the court* is incomprehensible. pic.twitter.com/sOhs0eWXEp

— nick wright (@getnickwright) October 23, 2024

If you didn’t get emotional watching Bronny check into the Lakers game with his dad, Lebron, you gotta check your pulse man. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/wSWCragAuv

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) October 23, 2024

Inside the locker room,  Davis couldn’t hide his admiration for his longtime teammate. 

“It was special to be a part of it. Fortunately i’ve been a part of a lot of Lebron moments since I’ve been here. It’s something you think about as a father. I’m definitely not playing with my kids. My boy is three years old. But to be able to share that moment with them is monumental. It’s special for our team, and definitely special for them.”

Even the Timberwolves players, who found themselves on the wrong side of this piece of history, couldn’t help but respect the moment. 

“That was dope. That was dope for those guys,” said Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards. “LeBron is my guy, so I was super happy with him and super happy for Bronny.” 

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who has a son of his own, tried to do the math to figure out if he would be able to accomplish the same milestone. 

"Being a father now, just the idea of being on the floor with my son, which will never happen unless I play until I’m 50, is crazy," Gobert said. "Just the idea of it is wild. I think regardless of people say you can be proud. To have your son follow in your footsteps and make it to this league, is an amazing accomplishment."

LeBron, never one to shy away from the weight of the moment, later spoke to the historical significance.

"This is the first time in this beautiful history of the NBA this has ever happened," he said. "A father-son to be on the same floor, let alone on the same team. It’s pretty cool. I don’t know if it’s hit us yet."

It definitely didn’t hit Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who not only was making his NBA coaching debut, but was the one who made the call for the father-son duo to enter the game when they did. 

“I was wondering why everyone was cheering and I was wondering what was going on," he said, "and then I looked over and saw the two of them at the scorer's table, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s pretty cool!”

For fans, the magnitude of the moment hit immediately. Social media buzzed, the crowd roared, and even those who weren't in the arena couldn’t help but feel part of something special. It wasn’t just another Lakers game, or even another LeBron milestone — it was something bigger, a celebration of family, legacy, and the dreams that bind generations together.

NBA debuts come and go. Records get broken every season. But this? This is something we’ll be talking about for decades to come. LeBron James, one of the greatest to ever play the game, stepped onto the court alongside his son, and in doing so, they became part of NBA lore forever.

The torch may not have fully passed yet, but Tuesday night, we saw it being carried by two generations, side by side, on the same path. And that’s something only basketball — and family — can deliver.