LeBron James and Bronny James of the Los Angeles Lakers could become the first NBA father and son to play on the court together as soon as Tuesday night ― and another famous sports duo will be there to witness it.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., the first father and son to play together in Major League Baseball, plan to attend the Lakers’ home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in an NBA season opener.
“It’s a big deal for my dad and I to be there,” Griffey Jr. said earlier this week. “We made history, now we get to watch history.”
The Griffeys played on the Seattle Mariners during the 1990 and 1991 seasons, and in a signature moment, hit back-to-back home runs on Sept. 14, 1990.
The Jameses played together just once during the preseason, ESPN reported, but did not create scoring opportunities for each other. Still, it was reportedly the first NBA preseason game in which a father and son played together.
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The chance to make history in front of the Griffeys got the younger James pumped.
“It’s going to be insane,” he said, per USA Today. “Only two families to do it, so it’s going to be a crazy experience, especially with what they’ve done.”
Other fathers and sons have played pro sports together, however.
Regarding Tuesday’s game, Lakers Coach JJ Redick told ESPN that “nothing’s been finalized for anything yet.”
LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a four-time NBA champion, has dreamed of teaming up with his son for years.
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The Lakers selected Bronny James as the 55th pick in the NBA draft after the guard’s first and only tumultuous year at USC. He went into cardiac arrest during a summer practice in 2023 and was found to have a congenital heart defect. But he later returned to the team and had modest success.
This could be a big chance for the 20-year-old to fight back at the “nepo baby” label.
LeBron James said previously that his son “doesn’t care” about the negative talk.
“Bronny doesn’t give a fuck,” he said.
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