Lebron and Bronny James make history at the start of the NBA

Los Angeles. A historic episode marked the opening day of this NBA season when the iconic LeBron James and his son Bronny were the protagonists in the 110-103 victory of the Los Angeles Lakers over the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the champions Boston Celtics They defeated the New York Knicks.

‘King’ James, 39, fulfilled his dream of sharing the court with rookie Bronny, 20, becoming the first father-son duo to play together in an official NBA game.

Both met on the court with four minutes left before halftime of the game to later take the victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 20,000 fans at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles gave a loud applause for this milestone in a game in which LeBron James also equaled the record of 22 active seasons held alone by Vince Carter.

James was part of the Lakers’ starting five and, after one of his breaks on the bench, coach JJ Redick sent him back to the court alongside Bronny, leaving an image for the history of the North American basketball league.

“Are you ready? You see the intensity, right? Just play calmly,” LeBron told his son at that time, as heard on the television broadcast.

LeBron, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, had always expressed his desire to share a locker room with Bronny, who made his debut in the competition this Tuesday after being chosen by the Lakers with number 55 in the last Draft.

“I’m very proud of him,” LeBron said after the game. “It has always been family above all else. I missed many things by being in this league (…) Being able to have this moment is one of the greatest gifts I have received from the man above, and I am making the most of it” .

Getting on the court with my dad “was a crazy moment that I’ll never forget,” Bronny said. “I’m very grateful for this incredible opportunity to come to this league and improve and learn every day.”

– Davis dominates Gobert –

JJ Redick, also a debutant on an NBA bench, had already used four substitutes before introducing Bronny on the floor when the Lakers dominated the score by 16 points (51-35).

Bronny, who could spend part of the season training in the Lakers’ affiliate team, only played three minutes in which he was left without scoring, missing two shots and capturing a rebound.

LeBron, for his part, had 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in a game in which the star was his partner Anthony Davis, with 36 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks.

For Minnesota, guard Anthony Edwards scored 27 points and Julius Randle, in his debut with the Timberwolves, 16 points and 9 rebounds.

French center Rudy Gobert finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds in a day in which a three-year extension to his contract with the Timberwolves was reported for $110 million.

– Celtics bombardean a Knicks –

The Boston Celtis began the defense of their NBA title with a resounding 132-109 victory over the New York Knicks.

Jayson Tatum led the green attack with 37 points, 10 assists and 8 triples, in a vibrant night at the TD Garden that began with the presentation of last season’s championship rings.

The locals also equaled the record of 29 three-pointers in an NBA game, which the Milwaukee Bucks had held since December 2020.

Dominican Al Horford (11 points) nailed the 29th triple from a corner with 8 minutes and 54 seconds left in the game, but the Celtics’ substitutes then missed 13 attempts to set a new record.

The Celtics’ exhibition was a coup of authority since the Knicks are the team that strengthened the most this offseason, with the famous signings of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, who had gray debuts with 12 and 16 points respectively .

“Today was an emotional night. It was a celebration of what we accomplished last year and to turn it around and beat a great team this way makes me very proud,” Tatum said.

The Celtics aspire to be the first champions to retain the trophy since the Golden State Warriors in 2018.