Bronny James scored the first NBA points of his young career on Wednesday night.
It came a matter of days after the Los Angeles Lakers rookie and his legendary dad LeBron became the first active father and son duo to suit up in an NBA game.
Bronny’s first NBA points came against the Cavaliers in Cleveland, the place of his birth in 2004 and where his dad first became a star in the league.
The 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft received a standing ovation from Cavaliers fans as he checked into the game in the fourth quarter of the 134-110 loss.
Minutes later, he scored his first bucket on a step-back, 14-foot jumper over Tristan Thompson.
The home fans erupted in cheers when he drained the basket but LeBron, who by that point was on the Lakers bench amid a blowout defeat, watched on stoically.
King James’ nonplussed reaction did the rounds on social media with one fan joking, “he really said nope, not good enough.”
The younger James finished the game with two points, a pair of assists and a steal in five minutes of action.
The four-time champion was more enthusiastic about Bronny’s first points after the game, commenting, “To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far away from here, it’s an unbelievable moment.
“Unbelievable moment for him and our family,” LeBron, who finished with finished with 26 points, six rebounds and six turnovers, added.
Bronny admitted it was good to get the monkey off his back and finally get his first NBA points under his belt.
“It was a dream come true for me,” the rookie said. “It felt really good after the fact. I was still in game mode when I hit the shot, so I didn’t really acknowledge it while I was playing.
It was a bittersweet moment for the James family, but nonetheless cool to see Bronny score against a team they share so much history with.
LeBron, a native of Ohio, was drafted by the Cavs with the No. 1 pick in 2003 and spent the first seven years of his career in Cleveland.
The King joined the Miami Heat in 2010 and won two world titles before returning to Cleveland in 2014.
He led the Cavaliers to five NBA Finals appearances and brought the franchise its sole championship in 2016.
James joined the purple and gold in 2018 and has now been joined by his eldest son.
Bronny is unlikely to see a ton of minutes this season, though.
The Lakers will more than likely send him to the G League in the coming days so that he can develop his skills and continue to improve against a similar level of opposition.
JJ Redick’s Lakers are now 3-2 for the season after a 3-0 start and next face the Toronto Raptors on Friday evening.
