Los Angeles (dpa) – When the historic moment finally arrived, the spectators in the arena rose from their seats and almost all pulled out their cell phones. Four minutes before the end of the first half, LeBron James and his son Bronny stood together on the sidelines wearing Los Angeles Lakers jerseys and entered the floor to the cheers of the fans.
For the first time in NBA history, father and son were on the field together in a competitive game – the 18,997 spectators had to capture this special moment with their cameras.
“One of the greatest gifts”
“Family always comes before everything 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,” said the 39-year-old basketball superstar. His 20-year-old son Bronny James was also impressed: “It’s a crazy moment that I will never forget.”
When LeBron James played his first NBA game in October 2003, his son Bronny wasn’t even born yet. The historic evening was crowned with a victory for the Lakers. The team from California beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 110:103 at the start of the new NBA season.
Special baseball duo is watching
As always in the NBA, the historic moment was perfectly staged. Family and friends were in the hall, and Ken Griffey Senior and Ken Griffey Junior, who had caused a similar goosebumps moment as father and son for the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the 1990s, were sitting on the sidelines. “We made history, now we can see history,” said Griffey Jr.
The Lakers selected Bronny James in the second round, 55th, in the summer draft. Many thought this was a PR stunt and there is a good chance that James Junior will disappear from the Lakers’ farm team in the G-League after his 2:41 minute appearance on Tuesday. But no one can take this moment away from LeBron and Bronny James, who had already been on the field together in a preseason friendly.
Bronny James didn’t score in his less than three minutes against Minnesota, but he did at least grab an offensive rebound. LeBron James scored 16 points, the best Lakers thrower was Anthony Davis with 36 points and 16 rebounds.
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. Before the game, the Celtics had pulled a championship banner from the ceiling for their 18th NBA title.
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.
