With the result of the race between Cleveland Cavaliers e Los Angeles Lakers now decided (read the story of the game), the crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse began to support the other team, in particular the yellow and purple rookie Bronny James, son of the greatest player in the history of the Ohio franchise.
Midway through the third quarter the chant rose up «We Want Bronny!»also repeated in the last period, until coach JJ Redick decided to please the fans by playing him for the second time after his debut on the opening night against the Timberwolves. And this time, Bronny scored the first basket of his career.
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🔝 Bronny James: «A special moment, more than I expected»
The Akron native, like his father, hit a jumper against Jaylon Tyson with 2:03 left in the game, igniting the excitement of the fans who remained to witness that moment. The fans stood up and appreciated the gesture product of the city of Ohio.
Author of 2 points, 2 assists and 1 steal in five minutes on the court, Bronny James he commented on the welcome he received from his Cleveland as follows: «It was crazy. Much more than I expected, but it’s all love. It was a beautiful moment. The choirs really impressed me. I was focused, but I could feel them and they made me feel great, especially considering I’m from here.”
«Yes, it was definitely a special moment for me.»
Bronny James
Sitting next to the number 9 of the Lakers, LeBron James he added that a moment like this could have overwhelmed him when he was a rookie with the Cavs in 2003: «He is more ready than I would have been in that situation: 20,000 fans screaming my name, wanting to see me on the pitch. If the roles had been reversed, I don’t know if I would have been able to handle it. Seeing him score his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up, not too far from here, is an incredible moment.”
«First of all, it’s an incredible moment for him. And for our family. It’s just amazing to be a part of it.”
LeBron James
Bronny James scores his first-career bucket!
Special moment in Cleveland 💯 pic.twitter.com/pauUZQ14AX
— NBA (@NBA) October 31, 2024
👑 LeBron James: «We are part of this community»
Bronny, against Minnesota, played alongside LeBron. This time he took the field during the garbage time and to observe his exploits, in addition to his father, there was his grandmother Gloria. The crowd immediately clamored for James Jr. to try the moment he entered. His teammates attempted seven shots before he finally made it: «They taught me to play the right way from an early age. So getting on the court and playing my basketball is what I’ll always do.”
The match was played exactly ten years after the first game played by James Sr. in his second stint with the Cavaliers, a four-year span in which he led the team to four consecutive NBA Finals and won the only title in franchise history, in 2016, ending a starvation of titles of 53 years for the city.
Although the four-time MVP, a native of Akron, was initially criticized by fans when he signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat in 2010, his return has healed old wounds, and the region has rallied around him and his family .
That bond was on full display Wednesday: The Cavs welcomed LeBron and Bronny by displaying welcoming images of the title celebration against the Golden State Warriors on a video screen near the visiting locker room, and then used a timeout in the first quarter for a tribute video dedicated to the father-son couple.
LeBron again: «We spent many years here. We are part of this community, of course… We were born not too far from here, 35 miles south, in our hometown of Akron. I spent eleven years of my NBA career – half of my career – here.”
«We have many beautiful memories. We experienced so many beautiful moments not only on the parquet of this arena, whether it was Gund Arena or the Q, and now Rocket Mortgage… A lot of great memories on the court, but also off the court in this community. The mutual respect and affection for what we have achieved during these years is truly gratifying.»
For Bronny, who said he often played friendly matches on a training pitch hidden on the top floor of the arena while his father played NBA matches, the time has finally come to live his experience as a protagonist. «Practically since I picked up the ball.» he responded when asked how long he had imagined scoring his first basketball among professionals. «I’ve always looked [mio padre] play in this league. I dreamed of following in the footsteps of those players, not only his but also those he played against or shared the pitch with.”
“So yeah, it was just a dream come true for me.”
Bronny James
Cool moment as the Cavs recognize LeBron and Bronny – huge applause for both pic.twitter.com/i7vkyJOd8R
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) October 30, 2024
📅 Next Game
I Los Angeles Lakers they return to the field at night (0:30 🇮🇹) between Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd November to face the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.
On the cover: LeBron and Bronny James.
Listen Lakers Speaker’s Cornerthe Italian podcast dedicated to gialloviolaare:
LeBron James he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbarbecoming the leading scorer in NBA history. Read the articles dedicated to the record of the four-time MVP written by the LakeShow Italia editorial team:
