Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty
Bronny James (left) and LeBron James (right) of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been building toward something all season, even if the path has been unconventional.
Bronny James has spent much of his sophomore year shuttling between the NBA roster and the South Bay Lakers in the G League. The 21-year-old has averaged 2.1 points in just 7.2 minutes per game across 33 appearances. Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena, he got his moment.
It started with a backboard.
A Story 12 Years in the Making
GettyLeBron and Bronny James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
After the Lakers’ 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets, Bronny James revealed a piece of family history that had gone untold. The last time he played LeBron one-on-one at their former home in Miami, Bronny won. LeBron, apparently, did not take it well.
“The last time I played him 1-on-1,” Bronny said, “he broke a backboard at our house in Miami.”
Austin Reaves, stationed at the next locker, needed one second to connect the dots.
“It was ’cause you won?” Reaves asked.
“Yeahhh! You can say that. Don’t leave that out!“
It is the kind of story that reveals something real about both of them. A father who still hates losing to his own son. A son who has spent his entire life competing against the greatest standard imaginable, and winning more often than people realize.
On Friday, he won again. In front of the whole league.
The Moment That Made History for the Lakers Duo
With 7:52 left in the second quarter, Bronny ran the offense while LeBron set a screen near the top of the key. After receiving an entry pass and drawing a double team, LeBron found Bronny open behind the arc. A quick pump fake. Then the shot went in.
First father-son assist in NBA history.
The NBA posted the sequence on social media within minutes. The building knew what it had just witnessed.
LeBron did not undersell it afterward.
“Definitely a cool moment for us and most importantly our family,” LeBron James said.
He also offered context for what Bronny’s development has actually looked like from the inside. The cardiac arrest scare before Bronny’s junior season at USC cast a long shadow over everything that followed. Getting back to where he was before that moment has been the quiet mission running underneath all of it.
“Just getting back to where it was before the incident,” LeBron said of his son’s shooting. “Everything is just coming back.”
What Bronny Said About Where He Is Now
Bronny James has not had an easy road to this point. Drafted 55th overall in 2024, he has spent significant stretches of both seasons finding his footing at the NBA level. The minutes have been limited. The opportunities, sporadic.
None of that has dimmed what he feels about being here.
“I’ve been wanting to play basketball my whole life,” Bronny said. “I knew this would be my job at one point. It’s a dream come true. I’m so privileged to be able to play basketball for a job. I love every single second of it.”
The confidence is coming. He has gotten, in his own words, “more and more comfortable to shoot it without thinking.” His teammates have noticed. The Lakers have praised his work ethic, his coachability, and the way he carries himself in the locker room. The same locker room where Austin Reaves is making sure the full story gets told.
Final Word for the Lakers
Last season, LeBron and Bronny made history just by sharing a floor. Friday, they added another chapter.
A father-son assist. A broken backboard finally explained. A 21-year-old finding his footing, one moment at a time.
Bronny said it simply. “Special moment with us two. A lot of work getting done.”
That much is obvious.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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