LeBron James barreled through the lane and slammed home a left-handed hammer. He sprung through the air to reject a shot. On the first night of Year 22 — albeit during the preseason — not a lot had changed and James was doing the kinds of things he’s done on the court for a generation.
But Sunday night at the start of the second quarter, he unveiled his latest — and maybe greatest — trick.
LeBron James and his oldest son, Bronny, shared the court together for the first time as professionals for a four-minute, nine-second shift. It was the first time a father and son played together in NBA history.
“Not real,” LeBron James said of the feeling. “Still trying to get a little bit used to it, but pretty cool. It’s pretty cool for the both of us and especially for our family. It’s pretty cool. “
In a five-minute postgame interview, James would say “pretty cool” six times.
Although the duo’s debut won’t be official NBA history until they play together during the regular season, Sunday was the first look at the greatest testament to James’ longevity as not just a pro — but as one of the league’s best.
Fittingly, Sunday was Bronny James’ 20th birthday.
Lakers coach JJ Redick informed the players that he planned to play them together earlier Sunday.
“I was pretty psyched for that,” Bronny James said. “But I just got out there and it felt like a normal game with my teammate, to be honest.”
The Lakers’ second-round pick, Bronny James has largely tried to not get caught up in the excitement around his presence and the possibility for on-court moments with his father.
“I’m always thinking about ‘That’s my dad’ because that’s literally my dad,” he said with a laugh. “So I just go out there and, when I’m playing, he’s just my teammate. That’s all I’m thinking at that point.”
It’s more than that to the people in and around the organization.
“It’s surreal — doing two-on-two, pick-and-rolls together in practice. It’ll be fun when they’re on the court together,” Redick said pregame. “I’m excited about it. I’m very honored that I get to be part of history.”
The Lakers lost their second preseason game 118-114, hardly the biggest story of the night.
Viewed as a potential distraction by some NBA insiders, the early returns on the duo playing together have been almost universally positive. Saturday, D’Angelo Russell said he’s enjoyed seeing the off-court moments between the first father-son duo in NBA history.
“You kind of see the words of wisdom that Bron’s dropping whenever he gets the chance. Pulling his little one to the side, dropping jewels whenever he gets the chance,” Russell said. “I mean, that’s a secret. That’s a cheat to the test, right? You got somebody that has all the answers.”
For Bronny James, this all seems secondary as he tries to make his own name as a contributor this training camp without getting caught up in being a part of one of the biggest stories in the NBA.
“To be honest, I couldn’t tell you (how I stay even keel). I don’t know. It’s a lot,” Bronny James said. “There’s a lot of stuff going around. Just trying to focus on what my job is and what I’m supposed to be doing. I feel like that is the thing that keeps me grounded.”
Sunday, the pair didn’t deliver on the kind of highlight moment that could fully capture the feat. The closest they came was when James flipped the ball to Bronny, but the Lakers’ rookie guard missed the three-pointer.
“I was really hoping that wing three on the little side (dribble hand off) had gone in,” Redick said. “That would have been a cool moment, but they’ll have a lot of moments together, I’m sure.”
LeBron James showed no signs of rush in his first game since the Paris Olympics, looking like the most dynamic player on the floor despite sharing the court with Team USA teammates Anthony Davis, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
James made eight of 12 from the field to go with five rebounds and four assists in 16 minutes. He didn’t play the second half. Davis, who opened the game with a lob dunk, finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.
“Felt like I never missed a beat,” Davis said.
The Lakers, who led by as many as 16, were outscored 61-45 in the second half. Still, there were mostly good feelings postgame. The team played better than it did in a loss Friday to Minnesota. It better adjusted to Redick’s new system. And it got to enjoy a special moment for its most accomplished player and his son.
“The moment when we came out of the timeout and he was picking up full court and I went up, because my guy was taking the ball out, we stood next to each other,” LeBron James said. “And I kinda looked at him, and it was just like, ‘Is this ‘The Matrix’ or something?’
“It just didn’t feel real.”