Legacy or Spectacle? LeBron and Bronny James Share the Court in Lakers' Season Opener

LOS ANGELES — It was just three minutes. Three minutes that felt like a piece of history, where a father and son removed their warmups as flashes of cameras lit up the arena. Three minutes where the spectacle threatened to overshadow the game, and the moment seemed to take precedence over the victory.

Was it a monumental milestone or simply showmanship? It depends on who you ask, as fans witnessed LeBron James and Bronny James play together for the first time, late in the second quarter of the Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“I talked about this years ago, and for it to happen now, it’s really cool,” LeBron reflected. “But once we checked in, it wasn’t about us. We had a job to do. We didn’t want to make it a circus. We wanted to focus on the game.”

Yet, with LeBron, the spectacle is never far behind. And while the event may have drawn attention, this time, as Anthony Davis pointed out, it occurred in a Lakers victory. In contrast to past celebrations often occurring amidst losses, the 110-103 win over the Timberwolves provided some relief. The pressure on those three minutes was lifted by an unengaged Minnesota squad that struggled to show the form that carried them to the Western Conference Finals just months ago.

Had the Lakers lost, those three minutes would have drawn criticism. Instead, the win kept the focus on basketball, despite the circus.

“I was wondering why the crowd got so loud during a dead ball,” Lakers coach JJ Redick admitted. “Then I saw what was happening. I thought, 'That’s pretty cool.' It gave Bronny a moment, something he worked for during the preseason.”

The pre-game hype around LeBron and Bronny overshadowed other major storylines, which will likely dominate the Lakers’ season. Redick celebrated his first win as head coach, while Davis played a key role, delivering a commanding performance with 36 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 37 minutes.

If Davis is truly set to lead the Lakers this season, this game set the tone. He gestured to the crowd several times, signaling that Rudy Gobert was no match for him and established his dominance around the rim.

“This is just a continuation of what I did in the Olympics,” Davis said, referencing his gold-medal summer with Team USA in Paris. “Playing basketball all summer at a high level prepared me for the regular season.”

Davis’ dominance on the floor ensured that LeBron and Bronny’s moment was more symbolic than significant in the grand scheme. But it’s a moment LeBron will never forget, and one that Bronny probably couldn’t have imagined a year ago, after suffering a cardiac arrest at USC, not far from the Lakers’ home arena.

On the court, not much transpired between father and son. Bronny was scored on by Julius Randle and missed a three-pointer off a pass from LeBron. For those hoping for a Hollywood moment like the Griffey father-son home runs in 1990, that dream didn’t come true.

“I tried not to think about everything going on around me,” Bronny said. “I’m just a rookie trying not to mess up. But I felt the energy and really appreciated the support from Laker Nation.”

The game’s celebrity guests included the Griffey family, who posed for photos with the Jameses before the game. It was clear the Lakers wanted to mark the occasion, but also to move past it, to lessen the pressure on both father and son. The Lakers, a franchise steeped in tradition, used the moment to celebrate their history, while the rest of the NBA carried on as usual.

Just minutes after Bronny left the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, another Laker legend, was escorted out of the arena in a wheelchair. Fans cheered “Kareem” as he left, briefly diverting attention from the game for about 15 seconds.

And as the elder James made history, Lakers PA announcer Lawrence Tanter informed the crowd of a halftime ceremony honoring the late Jerry West, further underlining the deep connections that run through the franchise.

It’s worth noting that West’s relationship with the Lakers had grown strained in recent years. Though he once played a key role in shaping the team, he had been working as an adviser for the Warriors and Clippers before his death in June. His grievances with the Lakers were not a secret.

That tension mirrored the complicated nature of the James family moment. Critics had long questioned Bronny’s NBA readiness. His selection as the 55th overall pick, and the four-year guaranteed contract that followed, sparked conversations about nepotism and merit.

But viewed from another angle, LeBron being there for his son, guiding him through the nerves and pressure, offered a sense of comfort.

LeBron remembered his first NBA game 21 years ago in Sacramento. “I was so nervous. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders,” LeBron said. “I knew a lot of people wanted me to fail, but I used that as motivation. I couldn’t sleep the night before, couldn’t even take my usual pregame nap.”

Though Bronny sat next to his father during their post-game press conference, fidgeting slightly, it was clear that whatever path his career takes, LeBron will understand the challenges ahead. Whether Bronny succeeds or struggles, his father will be by his side.

The cheers Bronny received, though, suggest that while the odds may be stacked against him, the world isn’t. Father and son came as a package deal, and perhaps the spectacle has now passed. But LeBron’s influence, always present, was felt throughout the night — even in the dominant performance of Anthony Davis, a player the Lakers wouldn’t have without LeBron.

As always with LeBron, nothing is ever straightforward. This was three minutes of layered, complex history.
LeBron and Bronny James made history playing together for the first time in the Lakers’ season opener, but the moment was filled with both symbolism and spectacle. Despite the attention, the Lakers secured a 110-103 win over the Timberwolves, driven by Anthony Davis’ dominant performance.