LeBron and Bronny James playing their first game together should be celebrated

The Los Angeles Lakers had their moments in the season opener.

New Lakers coach JJ Redick coached his first game. Not just his first NBA game. His first game Period.

The Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 110-103.

But the biggest moment, the historic moment – for the Lakers, for the NBA, for LeBron James and his family and friends – came with four:00 left in the second quarter when James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, and his son Bronny, a 20-year-old rookie, started the game together, becoming the first father-son duo to play in the NBA regular season.

It will be difficult for any other father-son combination to achieve this in the NBA, as the father must have unusual longevity and the son must have a talent for it.

And that's why TNT's Stan Van Gundy, who called Tuesday's Lakers-Timberwolves game, said last week: “This is something that should be celebrated.”

Given the state of the world, especially today, not everyone celebrates it. Some hearts have shrunk a little too much.

“Personally, I’m tired of all the criticism of Bronny and I should have picked him. This will have an impact on his career,” Van Gundy said. “From what I’ve observed and listened to the kid, he seems like a great young man who just wants to work and be a good player.”

The Lakers did it right and got it right at the start of the first game. “Whenever that happens, we’re all going to be excited to be a part of it,” Redick told reporters before the game.

Bronny only played three minutes, missed his two field goal attempts, failed to score, and had one rebound. That's no surprise for the second-round pick, who will likely spend a lot of time on the Lakers' G League squad.

Now Bronny can work on becoming a better basketball player. He was the 55th pick in the June draft, nearly a year after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest before beginning his first season in Southern California.

Previously, Bronny had been moving up the draft boards and showing progress. But the cardiac arrest slowed his development and affected his military service. Still, he worked to make himself a potential draft pick, and the Lakers weren't the only team considering a draft.

And it's not like the Lakers chose a first-round pick or even an early second-round pick over Bronny. The 55th pick in any NBA draft is a player that a team wants to develop over multiple seasons. The 55th pick in the 2023 draft, Isaiah Wong, has played in just one NBA game. Gui Santos, the No. 55 pick in 2022, did not play a single NBA game in the 2022-23 season and spent this season in the G League.

Bronny's basketball career cannot be measured by Summer League games, the G League or three minutes of the Lakers' season opener. This is a multi-year process.

Before Bronny checked in, Dad had a few words. “You see the intensity, right? But just play carefree. Don't worry about mistakes. Go out there and play hard.”

After the game, Bronny told TNT that watching the game with his father was “a crazy moment that I'll never forget.”

LeBron said, “To experience this moment where I'm still working and able to work with my son is one of the greatest gifts I've ever received from the man above and I'm going to take full advantage of it.”

What a cool, wonderful moment. For sports. For the NBA. For LeBron James and Bronny James.

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