LeBron James owns a lot of NBA records. On Friday night, he added a very personal one to his Hall of Fame résumé.
During the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets, LeBron and his son, Bronny, hooked up for the first father-son assist in NBA history. After taking a pass from Bronny, LeBron drew a double-team at the top of the key. That left Bronny wide open to get the ball back from dad and drain a 3-pointer.
Dad would finish with 14 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds in 37:29 of game time. Son would play a little over four minutes and that bucket would be his only one of the game.
When asked about the unique record afterward, LeBron was proud to be a part of the moment.
“Not taking it for granted, just being in the moment of us being on the floor once again,” LeBron said. “That’s two games back-to-back playing meaningful minutes and him, also, making another play. … I got doubled, and he was able to fake the pass to the corner and then knock down the 3. Definitely a cool moment for us and also for our family.”
LeBron, 41, is seeing a better Bronny, 21, on the court this season. Nearly three years since his cardiac arrest episode while at USC, Bronny is playing more minute in the NBA and G League, and the experience is helping him.
“It’s just getting back to where it was before the incident,” LeBron said. “He’s always been able to shoot the ball. He’s shot the ball at a high level pretty much throughout his years of playing ball, so I think it’s just the confidence and the rhythm and getting his strength back, and his wind and everything. Everything is just coming back [from] before the incident. So I’m not surprised to see him shoot the ball at a high clip.”
They are the first father-son duo to not only play in the NBA at the same time, but also for the same time. It’s a dynamic that was questioned when the Lakers drafted Bronny 55th overall in 2024.
We don’t know how much longer LeBron will play as that decision is left for down the road. For now, Bronny is beginning to build his own path.
“Especially knowing the path, you know, the road …,” LeBron told The Athletic this week. “So, just proud of him. I’m super proud of him. And he belongs. He belongs.”
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