LeBron James and his son, Bronny , shared the court in the Lakers' first preseason game against Minnesota. That's the first time the NBA saw a father-son combination on the hardwood. Still, technically, it's just an exhibition game. In Hakeem Olajuwon's words, they don't send these stat sheets to New York. So, when will fans see the real thing?
According to the newest NBA Insider, Shams Charania, it won't be a long wait.
"We're going to be seeing history very, very soon," Charania said on Get Up. "The expectation on the Lakers is that their debut together, the first father-son duo in the NBA to play at the same time in a game, will be as soon as Opening Night, October 22nd, against the Minnesota Timberwolves at home at Crypto.com Arena, from everything I'm told. That is the plan; that is the hope."
A process that will play out
The 30-year-old Charania added that it's ultimately up to JJ Redick when this will happen. Still, the Lakers' rookie head coach might want to get this scenario over with . There's no pressure for him to do so, but taking care of it early makes the most sense for him and the team. The former Duke Blue Devil reportedly involved LBJ in this decision and wanted to have him on board on the timing.
There could be a couple of scenarios that may present themselves in the T'Wolves game. Redick may insert Bronny in a low-stakes situation, such as at the tail end of a quarter with the Lakers having momentum. In a slightly worse sequence, the former USC Trojan might get some run in a blowout game. JJ may hold out LeBron for a couple of minutes in such a setting so that he could see the floor with his son.
Regardless, allowing this to happen on opening night at home makes perfect sense. The crowd will undoubtedly cheer for Bronny and give him energy, something he needed after a string of less-than-stellar preseason performances.
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Bron and AD have Redick's back
Early talks about JJ's potential coaching struggles as soon as he was hired were greatly exaggerated. From the looks of it, the Lakers may have to find their footing early because of personnel, not because of Redick's inability to coach.
"The early sense is how detail-oriented JJ Redick is the focus that he has, and how much he lives and digests basketball on a daily basis. That is what everyone in Los Angeles that I speak to says about JJ Redick… Right now, he has LeBron James's and Anthony Davis's buy-in, and that's the most important part," the ESPN Insider added.
No matter the dynamics behind the Lakers, all eyes will be on opening night as LeBron and Bronny look to make NBA history together. This could be the most fun or the most pressure-filled debut. Either way, it will be a memorable moment for the James gang and NBA fans.
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