The Los Angeles Lakers set themselves up for NBA history in June. At pick No. 55 of the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, they selected Bronny James. His father, LeBron James, was already on the roster, and while he was technically set to become a free agent, the widespread expectation was that he would re-sign. He did so, and that set the legendary elder James and his rookie son up to become the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history. All of that has been known for nearly four months. The more pertinent question today, on Oct. 22, is when exactly the big moment will come.
The Lakers kick off their season on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and that means today could be the day that James lives out one of his long-held basketball dreams.
But will we see Bronny and LeBron on the court together in Los Angeles on Tuesday night? Here's what we know as the Lakers prepare to begin their season.
What have the Lakers said?
First-year Lakers head coach JJ Redick has refused to set a definitive timeline for the LeBron-Bronny moment ahead of opening night. On Monday, he said that "nothing has been finalized" as far as that moment is concerned. Then on Tuesday, hours before tip-off, Redick said that whenever Bronny takes the floor with LeBron, he wants it to "happen naturally."
Previous reporting, however, suggests that it's going to happen early in the season.
"We're going to be seeing history very, very soon," ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Get Up less than two weeks ago. "The expectation around the Lakers is that their debut together, the first father-son duo in NBA history to play at the same time in a game, will be as soon as opening night."
While Redick has not publicly committed to a date, he has said that both members of the James family will have a say in how it plays out.
"We obviously have talked about it as a staff and we've gotten into some specifics of what that might look like," Redick said in September. "But we haven't committed to anything. And obviously, there's a discussion to be had once we're all together with Bronny and LeBron, too. They should be a part of that discussion as well."
It is not clear at this time how exactly the team plans to make the moment happen. Based on the younger James' status as a rookie second-round pick unlikely to be a part of the rotation, it would seem optimal to insert him late in a game that has already been decided. However, nobody within the organization has confirmed that the Lakers are pursuing that path.
What happened in the preseason?
Bronny and LeBron did share the court together during the preseason. The first such occasion came on Oct. 7 in the second quarter of a game against the Phoenix Suns.
In functional, basketball terms, the preseason is meaningless to the elder James. LeBron is a 22-year veteran that is just trying to get himself into regular-season shape. He averaged 12 points in 18.5 minutes across three preseason games.
The younger James, however, had a more notable preseason, and not necessarily in a good way. Across six games, Bronny averaged just 4.2 points on 29.7% shooting. Keep in mind, those numbers were worse before his preseason finale, in which he scored 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting. The preseason is a proving ground for rookies, and Bronny largely failed his first, public evaluation as a professional.
What should we expect across the season?
Obviously, LeBron will play quite a bit for the Lakers. He's their best player and averaged over 35 minutes per contest a season ago. When Bronny does step on the floor for the big club, the numbers suggest there's a reasonable chance he'll be doing so alongside his father.
The bigger question is how often Bronny will even be in the NBA. While he has a standard, NBA contract, the reporting has suggested that he will spend quite a bit of time in the G-League playing for the South Bay Lakers. That would make sense given both his draft position and his weak preseason. He needs minutes and space to develop outside of the limelight. Sitting on the big club's bench as his father continues to make history likely does him little good.
He will certainly have opportunities with the NBA team here and there, but the likeliest form his season takes is one, brief appearance alongside his father to ensure history is made before any possible injuries delay it followed by a lengthy stay in the G-League. Perhaps Bronny will eventually join his father as a rotation mainstay with the Lakers. For now, though, he remains a long-term project for the team.