As the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft, LeBron James attracted a huge amount of attention when he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers, going on to become the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year. Twenty years later, it’s safe to say that James, now with the Los Angeles Lakers and the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, has more than lived up to the hype.
Last month, it seemed like history was repeating itself when another LeBron James was selected in the 2024 NBA draft. LeBron James Jr., better known as Bronny, is set to join his father on court with the Los Angeles Lakers next season. In the 2024 draft, the Lakers selected the 19-year-old rookie as the 55th overall pick. The elder James, who is currently the oldest active NBA player, has just agreed to a new two-year contract with the Lakers, which means that the pair will become the first father-son teammates in NBA history.
However, other professional sports leagues have already seen fathers and sons take to the field (or rink) together. Perhaps the most famous duo was Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., who played together for the Seattle Mariners in 1990 and 1991. In one memorable Major League Baseball game on September 14, 1990, both Griffeys hit home runs during the first inning. Similarly, Tim Raines Sr. and Tim Raines Jr. appeared in four games together for the Baltimore Orioles in the last week of the 2001 season.
In 1973, hockey legend Gordie Howe came out of retirement at age 45 to sign with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association along with his sons Marty, 19, and Mark, 18. The Howes later played for the WHA’s New England Whalers, who were admitted to the NHL as the Hartford Whalers in 1979. The trio finally appeared in a game together on March 9, 1980, allowing the 51-year-old Howe to realize a dream he had had since his sons’ childhoods.
LeBron and Bronny:
- Bronny James’s ascent to the NBA has been hugely scrutinized and is not without controversy. Throughout his life, he has had to deal with media attention, comparisons with his father, curiosity from fans, and, of course, unreasonably high expectations.
- On July 24, 2023, during a USC practice session, Bronny James suffered a sudden cardiac arrest due to a congenital heart defect, but recovered and made his collegiate debut on December 10. His one season at the University of Southern California resulted in an average of 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds during 25 appearances. During the draft last month, many commentators inevitably wondered how much of the reason for his selection was his famous father.
- Wearing the number 9 jersey, Bronny James has already been in action this month at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and the California Classic in San Francisco, which attracted outsized interest and numerous Lakers fans wearing No. 6 or No. 23 LeBron James jerseys. It was an uneven start, with the Lakers management pointing out that Bronny James will likely continue to improve as he participates in the team’s intensive training and development program.
- Later this month, LeBron James will play for Team U.S.A. alongside teammates such as Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, and Derrick White, at the Paris Olympic Games.
