It actually lasted two minutes and forty-one seconds. Most likely, it will continue for the remainder of our lives.
In an NBA game, a father and son played together. For the first time. The final one, maybe? For one thing, a parent needs play in the NBA for almost 20 years, which is uncommon enough, in order to replicate what LeBron James and Bronny James achieved.
Even so, there is no assurance that the youngster will follow through or even decide to play basketball.
When a father and son checked into the game against the Timberwolves with four minutes remaining before halftime on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, history was made. Applause drowned out the sound of the horn, fans stood, and cell phone cameras were raised.
The first thing that everyone saw when the Lakers won 110-103 is the first of these five takeaways:
The backdrop and circumstances were almost ideal; the Lakers led 52-35, and the last few minutes started to count down to intermission.
Therefore, there was no need to make things difficult by forcing the topic. The 2024 NBA Draft’s 55th choice, Bronny, wasn’t the first player to come off the bench. Additionally, he did not return in the second half or play past the following timeout.
It happened as naturally and rationally as these things could.
The only negative was that after receiving a cross-court pass from his father, Bronny missed a 3-point attempt. The arena would have exploded if the ball had swished—on a Bron to Bron hookup. Rather, the audience let out a collective moan. History, though.
Rudy Gobert deflected the first of Bronny’s two attempts, which were a follow-up attempt. He had strong rotational mobility and reflexes for defence. Then his evening came to an end.
“Today was fantastic,” LeBron remarked. “I saw my son at work and my daughter, Zhuri, who turned ten, before she left for school.”
LeBron deserves this because he has shown enough respect for the game to maintain his peak form, has played at a high level for decades, has stayed in the league this long, and has prepared his kid for this moment.
It actually makes no difference what happens next. Since the historical objective was accomplished, Bronny may either return to the Lakers roster and be merely a backup or, as anticipated, head to the G-League and fall through the cracks. The rest is incidental.
Before tipoff, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Jr. went to the game and posed for a picture with LeBron and Bronny. On August 31, 1990, the Griffeys joined the Seattle Mariners as the first father-son team in baseball history.
“Compared to LeBron, it was a different situation with me,” Griffey Sr. remarked following the game on Tuesday. “Seattle wanted to get me gone.” I was in the league for eighteen years. Furthermore, I didn’t anticipate that the minors would call up Junior. After the regular first baseman was injured, I was the only player left to fill the position. They were unable to get rid of me since I hit.314 in the spring. We became father and son when my son set records during spring training. I didn’t anticipate it happening so soon.
Their two seasons together were encapsulated in two moments: Griffey Sr. remarked, “I homered first so all the pressure was on him,” in reference to their consecutive home runs in September 1990. With the score at 3-0, I assumed he would simply be walked. He hit the next pitch out even though it was a sinker down and away. He wanted to make it happen, therefore he had to reach for it.
The following one? When they were playing in the outfield, Junior ran over and caught a fly ball intended for his father. “I grounded his ass for that,” recalled Griffey Sr.
Griffey Sr. was particularly engrossed in the occasion as those memories flooded back to the Griffeys on Tuesday.
Regarding LeBron and Bronny, he remarked, “Looking at those two, it’s just a legendary thing.” “I loved every second of being a father, and I know LeBron did too.”
