CLEVELAND (AP) — The shot was familiar. So there was a roar too.
As LeBron James watched from a few feet away, his son Bronny had another celebration on the court in Cleveland. Bronny's dad gave him the floor himself, and he knew what to do on the floor where he first learned to dribble.
With LeBron on the bench in the final minutes of a blowout loss, Bronny James scored his first point in an NBA game — on a shot that looked exactly like his old man's — on Wednesday night. 134-110 loss to Cavaliers,
“To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena, not too far from where he grew up, it's an incredible moment,” LeBron said. “Incredible moment for them, and it's great for our family to be a part of it.”
It was expected that they would play together. Instead, it was LeBron watching as Bronny made Cleveland rock.
LeBron, battling a cold, checked out in the fourth quarter after scoring 26 points in 29 minutes. From his seat at the end of L.A.'s bench, he had the pleasure of watching his son bask in the love of the Cleveland crowd, which cheered his every move for 11 seasons.
Pride hardly describes it.
“It's the greatest thing in the world,” LeBron said about seeing his son fulfill a dream.
With the Cavs running away from the Lakers, Cleveland fans chanted “We want Bronny!” Started raising slogans. They were looking forward to seeing the newcomer they had watched grow up. The younger James checked in with 5:16 minutes remaining and received loud cheers whenever he touched the ball.
He dished out two assists and then scored his first basket as a professional with 2:03 remaining on a 14-foot shot from the left corner, a bucket reminiscent of so many that his father, the league's career scoring leader, would regularly make. Caves were made for this since ancient times.
As the crowd roared, Bronny didn't know how to react.
“It was madness,” he said. “Definitely more than I expected. It's all love. It was a nice moment. The mantras really impressed me. I was facing straight, but I felt it and it felt great, especially coming from here.”
When Bronny was little, he would run down the hallways, ride elevators and take shots on the practice courts inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse while his famous father played games.
Earlier in the day, Bronny reflected on his return home to Ohio.
“This is going to be really special,” he said after the morning shootout. “It feels good to be here in our house with my dad.”
LeBron spent 11 seasons over two stints with the Cavs, leading them to the 2016 title before leaving as a free agent for the Lakers two years later. Last week, the 39-year-old superstar and his 20-year-old son Became the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game.
However, Brown did not score in the win over Minnesota, missing both shots.
There has been some criticism of the Lakers' decision to draft Bronny, who was taken in the second round after playing one year at USC. While some may argue LeBron is complacent, Cavs first-year coach Kenny Atkinson said it's inspiring to see them together.
“It's a beautiful story,” Atkinson said. “I have two kids of my own, I can't even imagine. I love playing with my son in the backyard. To do that on an NBA court? beautiful story. I love it. I think we should celebrate that.”
Once the Lakers conclude this five-game road trip on November 6, Bronny is expected to join the club's G League team, the South Bay Lakers. Although this time he was back in his home state on business, the younger James said returning to his roots is always a pleasant experience.
“It feels good to be here,” he said before the game. “It's nice to be here in Ohio, to live at a slower pace – totally different from L.A.”
LeBron was also welcomed with open arms.
The four-time league MVP received a heavy ovation during pregame introductions and again when the Cavs played a video paying tribute to him and Bronny on the scoreboard during a timeout in the first quarter.
LeBron joked that he didn't enjoy it.
“It was a great moment,” he said. “I didn't really get a chance to take advantage of the moment because we were getting drunk. I was a little angry during that timeout. I didn't really get a chance to appreciate it. But I heard it.”
Sitting together during the press conference, all LeBron and Bronny could think about was another memorable night at a place they know well.
This time he created history and left as a teammate.
First father and son to score in an NBA game. And they did it in Cleveland.
“It's definitely very humbling,” LeBron said. “We don't take it lightly, every time we get a chance to come back and either play the game we love or just stay home and be in the community. This is very good.”
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