With LeBron James on the bench in the final minutes of a blowout loss, Bronny James scored his first points in an NBA game Wednesday night — with a shot that looked exactly like his old man’s — in a 134-110 loss to the Cavaliers .
“To see him get his first NBA basketball in this arena, where he grew up not far from here, is an incredible moment,” LeBron said. “Incredible moment for him, and for our family it’s just pretty cool to be a part of that.”
It was to be expected that they would play together. Instead, it was LeBron watching as Bronny rocked Cleveland.
LeBron, who was battling a cold, dropped out in the fourth quarter after scoring 26 points in 29 minutes. From his seat at the end of the bench in LA, he enjoyed watching his son bask in the love of the Cleveland crowd that cheered his every move for 11 seasons.
“It’s the most beautiful thing in the world,” LeBron said of seeing his son fulfill a dream.
As the Cavs ran away from the Lakers, Cleveland’s fans began chanting “We want Bronny!” hoping for the rookie they saw grow up. The younger James checked in with 5:16 left and was loudly cheered every time he touched the ball.
He picked up two assists and then made his first basket as a pro with a 15-foot shot from the left corner, a bucket reminiscent of so many his league-leading father made for the Cavs.
When the crowd erupted, Bronny wasn’t sure how to respond. “It was crazy,” he said. “Much more than I certainly expected. It’s all love. It was a nice moment. The chants really touched me. My face was tight, but I felt it and it felt pretty good, especially coming from here.
When Bronny was a boy, he ran the halls, rode the elevators and took shots on the practice court at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse while LeBron played games.
Earlier in the day, Bronny reflected on his return home to Ohio. “It will be very special,” he said after the morning shoot. “It feels good to be here with my dad – in our house.”
LeBron spent 11 seasons in two stints with the Cavs, leading them to the 2016 title before leaving for the Lakers as a free agent two years later. Last week, the 39-year-old superstar and his 20-year-old son became the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game.
However, Bronny did not score in the win over Minnesota, missing both of his shots.
There has been some criticism of the Lakers’ decision to draft Bronny, who was taken in the second round after playing one year at USC. While part of the reasoning may have been to appease LeBron, Cavs first-year coach Kenny Atkinson said it’s moving to see them together.
“It’s a beautiful story,” Atkinson said. “Having two children of my own, I can’t even imagine that. I like to play with my son in the backyard. To do it on an NBA court? Nice story. I love it. I think we should celebrate that.”
Once the Lakers end this five-game road trip on November 6, Bronny is expected to join the club’s G League team, the South Bay Lakers. Although he was back in his home state on business this time, the younger James said he is happy to return to his roots.
“It feels good to be here,” he said before the match. “It’s nice, slow living here in Ohio – very different from LA.”
LeBron was also welcomed back with open arms. The four-time league MVP received a huge ovation during the pregame introductions and then again when the Cavs played a video tribute to him and Bronny on the scoreboard during a timeout in the first quarter.
LeBron joked that he couldn’t enjoy it.
“It was a pretty cool moment,” he said. “I didn’t really get a chance to seize the moment because we were drugged. I was a little angry at that point during that timeout. I didn’t get a chance to really appreciate it. But I heard it.”
Sitting next to each other during the press conference, LeBron and Bronny were able to reflect on another memorable night in a place they know well. “It’s definitely very humbling,” LeBron said. “We don’t take it for granted every time we come back and play the game we love or just be at home and just be in the community. It’s pretty cool.”