NBA
Basketball History Through LeBron Family: “Gifts”
LeBron James and Bronny James made NBA history. photo
© Eric Thayer/AP/dpa
For the first time, father and son appear together in a competitive NBA game: LeBron James and his son win with the Lakers at the start of the season. Defending champion Boston sets an NBA record.
LeBron James and his son Bronny James made NBA history. For the first time, father and son played together for the same team in a competitive game in the North American Basketball League; 39-year-old LeBron James and his 20-year-old son had a 110:103 (55:42) home win in the season opener with the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate about the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The historic moment occurred four minutes before halftime when father and son came on at the same time. Cheers erupted as the James duo took off their warm-up shirts before being substituted.
“Family always comes before anything else,” said LeBron James. “I missed a lot of my son’s experiences because I was often at away games. Experiencing this moment is one of the greatest gifts I have received from God.” Bronny James was also impressed: “It’s a crazy moment that I will never forget.”
Ultimately, Bronny James was only on the floor for three minutes and remained scoreless. LeBron James scored 16 points, the best Lakers thrower was Anthony Davis with 36 points and 16 rebounds.
Bronny James was selected by the Lakers at the end of the second round in this year’s NBA talent draw, the draft, but his preparation for the season was not yet convincing. How big his role will be with the Lakers remains to be seen.
Defending champion Boston sets NBA record
The Boston Celtics started the new season with a 132:109 (74:55) home win over the New York Knicks and set an NBA record in the process. The defending champions sank 29 three-pointers and equaled the league record of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics managed to do this after just over three minutes in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to set a new record because the hosts missed their last 13 throws from outside.
Jayson Tatum stood out for the Celtics with 37 points and eight three-pointers. Before the game, the Celtics had pulled a championship banner from the ceiling for their 18th NBA title. That seemed to inspire, the defending champions dominated the first quarter 43:28.
German center Ariel Hukporti made his league debut with the Knicks. The 22-year-old didn’t score in six minutes, but he did get four rebounds and blocked a shot. With Hukporti, eight German players are active in the NBA this season – more than ever before.
