LeBron James #23 and Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers Photo: AFP
LeBron James and his son Bronny became the first father-son duo to play together in a regular season NBA game as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener.
The sold-out crowd let out a roar when 20-year-old Bronny checked into the game alongside LeBron, who was re-entering the game with four minutes to play in the first half.
Bronny, who like many first-year players is not expected to see significant floor time this season, grabbed a rebound in his three minutes of action while LeBron contributed 16 points in the Lakers' 110-103 win.
"It's always been family over everything," LeBron said alongside Bronny after the game.
"I lost a lot of time because of this league ... so to be able to have this moment where I am working still and I can work alongside my son, it's one of the greatest gifts I've ever got from the man above and I'm going to take full advantage of it."
No father-son duo has ever played during the same NBA season, let alone on the same team. The pair appeared together during a preseason game earlier this month.
LeBron, 39, had long said one of his remaining goals in basketball was to play with his son, a guard who was selected with the 55th pick of the NBA Draft in June after one season at the University of Southern California.
LeBron, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, a four-time champion and three-time Olympic gold medallist, is now in his 22nd NBA season and has yet to say when he plans to call time on his career.
Bronny, meanwhile, is looking to make a name for himself in the league he has grown up around with a father who has also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.
"Going up to the scorer's table and checking in for the first time was a crazy moment I will never forget," Bronny said.
"I'm just extremely grateful for everything. I was given an amazing opportunity to come into this league and get better every day and learn every day."
LeBron said he reminds his eldest son how fortunate they are to play in the NBA.
"This is not promised every day that you get to play in this beautiful league," he said.
"There's only 450 of us and you have to understand it's not given to you, you have to earn every moment. I think he knows that and he looks forward to the process of getting better every single day to be the player he ultimately wants to be.
"I'm super proud of him. He's my lifeline, that's for sure."
In attendance at the game was another sporting father-son duo in Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., who played together on Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners. The pair memorably hit back-to-back home runs in a game in September 1990.
LeBron and Bronny warmly welcomed the Griffeys at midcourt ahead of the game before posing for photos.
-Reuters