The curtain has only just been raised on the 2024/25 NBA season, but history has already been made by the Los Angeles Lakers. On Tuesday night, LeBron James and his son Bronny shared the hardwood against the Minnesota Timberwolves — and in doing so, they became the first active father-son duo in NBA history.
While Bronny’s involvement in the Lakers‘ 110-103 win was limited to a 2:41 cameo, LeBron began his 22nd NBA season with a 16-point, 5-rebound, 4-assist display — capped with an explosive dunk in the second quarter. That statistical disparity has led to further criticism for LeBron, even as the Lakers have started 1-0 with a win over a Western Conference contender.
JJ Redick is caught with an unexpected celebration after winning his debut with the Lakers
LeBron slammed for fakeness on ESPN
Speaking on ESPN‘s “First Take” on Wednesday, longtime pundit Christopher Russo went full “Mad Dog” and snapped at LeBron for the massive media attention that accompanied Bronny’s NBA debut — which otherwise would have been unremarkable for a player selected 55th overall in the 2024 draft.
“This might be fun for LeBron, (but) nobody in America cares that Bronny James played three minutes and grabbed one rebound at 11 o’clock at night in the opener,” Russo said. “This is supposed to be a moment that America is gonna resonate with?”
Russo is far from the first talking head to slam the process by which Bronny landed with the Lakers — a long-simmering move finally consummated on draft day that culminated in LeBron’s son landing a four-year contract worth $7.9 million. The Lakers’ rookie coach, J.J. Redick, had previously stated that Bronny would be spending much of the 2024/25 season with the developmental South Bay Lakers, further contributing to the perception that LeBron’s moment with his son was contrived — and Bronny’s few minutes on the floor could have gone to someone more “deserving”.
“It just feels fake. It’s not a sports moment. To me, there’s a fakeness to it,” Russo said of Wednesday night’s showcase for the James family. “It’s great for LeBron. And if that’s the idea, fine. I’ll give you that. But from a sports fan’s perspective… I don’t think anybody is walking about America saying, ‘Wow. Did you see that Bronny James played with his father last night?’ That is not happening.”
Regardless, LeBron and Bronny had their moment on the NBA’s opening night, and only time will tell as to how many more of those moments will take place. At the very least, it was a special evening for the Lakers’ franchise player — and arguably the NBA’s greatest-ever player — whom Los Angeles understands has to be engaged and focused amid a championship pursuit in the vaunted Western Conference.
