The Los Angeles Lakers open up their season on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and all eyes will be on Bronny and LeBron James as they look to make history as the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA game.
While head coach JJ Redick has been noncommittal about Bronny getting into the game on Thursday, which makes sense considering his is a rookie second-round pick that won’t be in the Lakers’ rotation, the expectation is for the James family to have their moment to essentially get it out of the way and focus on the rest of the season.
As Brian Windhorst reported on ESPN’s Get Up, that is expected to come at the beginning of the second quarter on Tuesday:
“The big story tonight on Opening Night is out here in Los Angeles where I think we’re gonna see a historic moment with LeBron and Bronny James. The Lakers aren’t saying for sure, but they’ve shown their hand a little bit with Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. being guests of Nike here tonight. This is a big thing for LeBron. I would expect, as long as the game is going OK, be in your seat at the start of the second quarter. That’s when JJ Redick did this in the preseason, to start the second quarter, and the coach, I know it’s his debut, but he is totally leaning into this. He understands how this moment is energizing LeBron. And energizing LeBron is good for the Lakers. Forget about anything else.”
The score and how the Lakers are playing could dictate how this plays out, but it seems that Bronny will enter at the start of the second quarter for the Lakers and play a few minutes alongside LeBron before Redick goes back to his normal rotations for the rest of the game.
Considering the Lakers need to get off to a good start this season, the hope is that this moment won’t affect their chances of beating a tough Timberwolves team. Regardless though, it seems that getting it out of the way and not letting it linger and become a storyline will be best for all parties involved.
Ken Griffey Jr. & Sr. to watch Bronny & LeBron James make history
Fathers and sons have played together a few times in sports history with the most recent being Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr. in Major League Baseball.
The Griffeys have been watching for this moment for a while now and they are set to make good on their promise to Bronny and LeBron James, attending the Lakers’ game against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
“I’m actually going to go to the game and I’m going to take my dad,” Griffey Jr. said. “First father and son to play baseball, now first father and son to play basketball, so it’s a big deal for my dad and I to be there. We made history, now we get to watch history.”
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