Bronny James may be a Los Angeles Laker, but the team he grew up around was the Cleveland Cavaliers. His father, LeBron James, was about to begin his second NBA season when Bronny was born, and the younger James was 10 years old when the elder James made his famous return to the Cavaliers and eventually led them to their first NBA championship in 2016. It therefore felt fitting that Bronny would score his first NBA points at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, the building his dad made famous.
The moment came late in the fourth quarter. James checked into the 134-110 Cavaliers win with 5:16 remaining, and with 4:03 remaining, he racked up his first assist on a pass to Dalton Knecht. And then, with 2:03 remaining, James drove left, hit the paint, turned back out and launched a long 2-point jumper. Swish.
The crowd, which chanted for Bronny both before and after he entered the game, absolutely erupted for its native son. While he may not be a Cavaliers player himself, the fan base grew very familiar with him during his father’s time in Cleveland.
The only thing taking away from Bronny’s big moment? His father wasn’t in the game with him. After Monday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, the elder James mentioned that he expected to play with his son against Cleveland.
It’s definitely going to be very special to be back home and be able to run the floor with my son who spent a lot of time on that floor throughout my days when I played there for eleven years,” he said Monday.
LeBron, however, had already checked out of the game for good as it was no longer competitive while Bronny finished with two points, two assists and a steal in five minutes.
Still, father got to watch son score his first professional points from the sideline, and the two already got to play together on opening night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. When the Lakers return from this road trip, Bronny is expected to split time between the NBA and the G-League as a member of the South Bay Lakers.
He still has a ways to go before he can contribute consistently at the NBA level. But on Wednesday, he hit one of the most important milestones any professional basketball player can reach — his first career points.