LeBron James and son Bronny's touching moment inspires merciless Saturday Night Live joke

LeBron James and LeBron James Jr -- known by his nickname "Bronny" -- are set to be teammates for the Los Angeles Lakers. The pair shared the court last week in the Lakers 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns.

In a story fresh out of an early-2000s teen movie, the glitziest NBA franchise with the biggest star in the league will now feature a father-son partnership. The combination of such factors means the duo is set for coverage from all corners of the media sphere.

One of the first instances of such Lakers-pop culture crossover came on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update." Host Collin Jost humorously poked at the humorous nature of LeBron and Bronny's on-court dynamic.

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"LeBron James and his son, Bronny, made history when they became the first-ever father-son duo to play an NBA game together," Jost said during the segment. "But there was some confusion when LeBron called a timeout and his son went and stood in the corner."

The James' shared the floor for four minutes against the Suns . The 39-year-old LeBron James scored 19 points in just 16 minutes on 8-12 shooting. The 2024-25 NBA season will mark his 22nd campaign in the association.

Bronny James missed his only shot in 13 minutes. He's struggled from the floor in three preseason games, converting just one of his 11 field goal attempts.

The 20-year-old was selected 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft and inked a four-year contract worth $7.9 million (and $5.4 million guaranteed).

First-year Lakers coach JJ Redick was effusive in his praise of Bronny James on the other side of the floor. "He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique," Redick said after the Lakers's first preseason game

"I think turn into a really disruptive defender. And that manifested itself. On the offensive end, he's still kind of figuring out who he is. And that's our job as a player development program just to build him up."

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"But I liked what I saw from Bronny," Reddick continued. "He's so easy to coach. And he's got a great soul. And just a great energy about him. I like being around him and I'm rooting for him."He's a good player that we're happy to have in our program."

For LeBron James, sharing the court with his son is a source of tremendous pride: “For a father, it means everything," LeBron James told ESPN's Ramona Shelbourne.

"For someone who didn't have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have influence on your son. Be able to have moments with your son. And ultimately, to be able to work with your son. I think that's one of the greatest things that a father can ever hope for or wish for."