LUKAS BLANKENSTEIN / CONTRIBUTOR

History was made on Oct. 22 when  LeBron  James Sr. and his son LeBron Raymone “Bronny” James Jr. became the first ever father-son duo to play on the  same team together. The moment came with much anticipation after James Jr. was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers as the No. 55 pick out of University of Southern California. This allowed James Jr. to play with his father, Lebron James Sr., who is currently playing his sixth season for the Lakers. 

This moment also broke records as  James  Sr.  and  James Jr. became the highest scoring father-son duo of all time with 40, 670 points — 40,666   from  James  Sr.  and four from James Jr. — surpassing  Kobe Bryant (33,643 points all with the Lakers) and his dad Joe  “Jellybean”  Bryant   (5,252 points with the 76ers, Clippers and Rockets) who held a combined   total   of 38,895  points. 

James Jr. and James Sr. shared the court together with four minutes left in the second period. The moment came in the Lakers’ first game of the season on Oct. 22 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which would end in a 110-103 victory for the Lakers. In the aftermath of their first game, James Sr. discussed what the moment meant to him. 

“That moment, us being at the scorer’s table together and checking in together — something I will never forget,” James Sr. said in an interview with ESPN. “No matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade as I get older or whatever, I will never forget that moment.”

James Jr. shared his experience trying to deal with the gravity of the moment.

“I tried not to focus on everything that was going on around me and tried to focus on going in as a rookie and not trying to mess up,” James Jr. said to ESPN. “But yeah, I totally did feel the energy, and I appreciate the Laker Nation for showing their support for me and my dad.”

The    game was  also an   interesting  spectacle   for many  fans. This  includes   USD   junior  and LeBron  James  Sr. fan  Brandon Gaither.

“I think that this was LeBron’s dream to play with his  son, and  it is   an  interesting  sight  to  see   father  and   son share   the  court   for  the  first time in NBA history,” Gaither stated. 

Despite the heartwarming moment, many are left wondering whether or not James  Jr.  is  ready for the NBA. When James Sr. entered the  league,  he  was drafted first overall straight  out  of  high  school with the expectation of being one of the next great players, famously being shown on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the title “The Chosen One” before ever being drafted. By contrast, James Jr. was drafted 55th overall out of the USC with the fourth-to-last pick in the NBA draft. Players drafted  this  late  rarely   become regular NBA contributors. 

According to an article by Tim Reynolds of AP News, every NBA 55th overall draft pick since the first NBA draft in 1950 has combined to score 22,364 points, which is over 12,000 less points than LeBron. 

Many believe  that James Jr. was not ready for the NBA,  including   USD    senior  and         Warriors   fan  Ernest Zmrzli.  However,   Zmrzli    doesn’t blame the Lakers for making the decision to draft Bronny.

“Judging by his limited role and skills at USC, I don’t think that he was ready for the NBA at the time,” Zmrzli said. “Ultimately, it’s a business, and there’s really very little risk in picking him at 55.”

The father-son duo are seen conversing  together on the bench during a home game. Photo courtesy of @kingjames/Instagram

James Jr. turned out to not be ready for the NBA, as it was  announced on  Nov. 7 that  James  Jr.  was  being   sent  down to the NBA G-League  South Bay Lakers. The G-League is the NBA’s equivalent to the minor leagues  in baseball, where young  prospects can play and get  more practice in for the  big  stage. The  demotion came after James Jr. was only given 13 total minutes across his first four games, where he scored only 1.0 point per game, with 0.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists. USD first-year and Lakers fan Max Acosta  believes that the decision to    send   James  Jr. down  was ultimately  the correct call.

“I  think  it’s the  right move for  him,” Acosta claimed, “I don’t think he  has the experience yet. He was a freshman  in college, I  think  his dad  and  the  media  pushed him  too  hard. I  just don’t think he’s fitting into the NBA yet, but  maybe  after a few years  in the G-League [he will]. He just needs more experience.”

While James Sr. and the Lakers   haven’t   gotten   the  happy   ending   they   have    wanted so far  with James Jr. being sent  down to the G-League, it doesn’t take away from the moment that was created.  Even  if  James   Jr. never  plays   another   game in  the NBA, fans will  always remember the moment that he first shared the court with his father.

The Lakers   have  a record of  six       wins and   four  losses  so  far  as it’s  still       early  on  in  the   season.   The team last  won  an  NBA                      championship  in 2020  and  is  looking    for more.   

LeBron James and “Bronny” James share the court. Photo courtesy of @kingjames/Instagram