LeBron and Bronny James have already carved their names into history as the first father-son duo to play together for the Los Angeles Lakers. An intriguing anecdote recently resurfaced about a particularly competitive moment between them from the past.
Following a recent Lakers victory, LeBron, often hailed as ‘the King,’ confirmed a long-standing rumor. «Yes, we had a hoop in our driveway back then. I drove past him and threw down a dunk. I didn’t intend to shatter the glass, but yes, I ended up destroying the hoop,» he recounted.
Days prior, his son Bronny had revealed that during a fierce one-on-one matchup in 2014, his father had indeed smashed their home basketball system in Miami.
After Bronny shared the story, his Lakers teammate Austin Reaves playfully questioned if LeBron’s destructive «attack» was spurred by Bronny winning the game at the time.
The 21-year-old Bronny laughingly confirmed his victory from that day, prompting Reaves to emphatically state: «You have to tell that part! Don’t leave that out of the story!»
LeBron, now 41, admitted he remembers less about the specific score. «I don’t know, he definitely hit a few shots,» he confessed, but quickly added a clarification: «But that was ‘Miami Bron.’ That was the invincible Bron. There’s no way I wasn’t trying to win.»
What remains clear, however, is his regret: «I didn’t want to break it. I had to buy a new one afterwards.» Whether he actually followed through on that purchase, LeBron couldn’t quite recall.
LeBron and Bronny Make NBA History Together
Before Bronny’s revelation about the hoop incident, he and his father had already made headlines by writing their own piece of NBA history. During a 116-99 Lakers win, LeBron assisted his son, who caught the pass and seamlessly sank a three-pointer.
This momentous play marked the first-ever father-son assist in the entire history of the NBA. «That was definitely a cool moment for us, and for the family too,» LeBron remarked when reflecting on the historic play. «I don’t take it for granted; I just enjoy the moment.»
Since the beginning of the last season, the duo has regularly suited up for the ‘Purple and Gold,’ officially becoming the first father-son pairing in league history. While LeBron James, in his 23rd season, continues to be a primary option for the Lakers, Bronny primarily sees sporadic action as a rotational player.
He features more prominently in the G-League, where he consistently demonstrates his developing potential. In a recent regular-season game for the South Bay Lakers, he notably scored 26 points (9/12 FG, 6/8 3FG).
NBA: Bronny and LeBron James Statistics This Season
| Player | GP | MIN | PPG | FG% | 3FG% | RPG | APG | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | 54 | 33.6 | 20.9 | 51.2 | 31.4 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 3.0 |
| Bronny James | 35 | 7.6 | 2.3 | 38.0 | 36.1 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.5 |