LeBron, Bronny James become first father-son duo to record assist to each other

LOS ANGELES — Two Brooklyn Nets defenders dominated LeBron James in the second quarter of Friday’s game, but his subsequent pass out of the double team allowed the James family name to be recorded twice in the official play-by-play for the same action: B. James 26′ 3PT Jump shot (L. James)

LeBron’s shot from the top of the key found an open Bronny James on the left wing. When his shot shattered the net, the Los Angeles Lakers teammates made history with the first father-son assist the NBA had ever seen.

“It was a special moment with both of us and many more to come,” said Bronny, whose bucket cut the Nets’ lead from five to two in Los Angeles’ final 116-99 victory.

BRONNY ➡️ LEBRON ➡️ BRONNY

THE FIRST FATHER-SON ASSISTANCE IN NBA HISTORY! pic.twitter.com/qWGcYLayLi

-NBA (@NBA) March 28, 2026

His father was especially proud to see his 21-year-old son start to get playing time for the Lakers after being selected with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 draft, following his freshman season at USC that was disrupted by a cardiac arrest during summer practice.

“Don’t take for granted being on the court again, that’s two games in a row, playing meaningful minutes,” LeBron said, referring to Bronny’s 13 minutes in a win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

“I always made the right play. I was double-crossed and he was able to fake a pass in the corner and then knock down the 3. So, it’s a really cool moment for us and also for the family.”

Bronny shot 40% on 3-pointers in his second NBA season and even better in the G League, where he shot 41.7% for the South Bay Lakers.

“I have more and more reps who feel comfortable shooting behind the NBA line,” Bronny said. “I became more and more comfortable for myself to just shoot without thinking. Nothing much, but just doing reps and going and continuing to work on my game.”

LeBron said he began to see a return of the confidence that made his son a standout player in high school and AAU basketball nearly three years after that summer workout at USC sent him to the hospital.

“It’s just a return to where it was before the incident,” LeBron said. “He’s always been able to shoot the ball. He’s shot the ball at a high level almost throughout his playing years. So, I just think there’s confidence in the rhythm and just getting the strength back and his wind and everything. It’s all just coming back.”

Everything comes back into place for Bronny, including the confidence to speak with his father.

While Bronny shared his joy of playing with LeBron on Friday, he also revealed what happened in his last game against him.

“The last time I confronted him one-on-one – I don’t know if this story got out – he broke a sign in our house in Miami,” Bronny said.

Austin Reaves, who was at the locker next to Bronny when he shared the story, intervened.

“Is it because you won?” » asked Reaves.

Bronny nodded affirmatively.

“Yeah!” Reaves spoke enthusiastically. “You can say that. Don’t leave it out!”

Ultimately, family history aside, Bronny just doesn’t want to be left out of the Lakers rotation.

“He’s always ready to play,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “[He] hit a big 3 as things got a little wayward in the second quarter with a few turnovers. And you know…I’m really happy with where he’s at and very confident where he’s going to be as a player. »

Bronny is also starting to look like he shares this confidence.

“I wanted to play basketball my whole life, so I knew it was going to be my job at some point,” Bronny said. “It’s a dream come true. I’m very privileged to be able to play basketball for a job and I love every second of it. My teammates embrace it. I’m best friends with all my teammates and my coaches. I’m just happy to be here.”