On the brink of making sports history, Bronny and LeBron James stand to achieve a feat unprecedented in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers selected LeBron’s eldest son, Bronny, as the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Should they share the court in the upcoming season, they will become the first father-son duo ever to play together in the NBA, a milestone that will etch their names into the annals of basketball history.
This remarkable moment has compelling historical parallels in other major sports leagues. The NFL boasts a unique instance when Ted and Charlie Nesser played for the Columbus Panhandles against the Akron World's Champions on September 25, 1921. The Panhandles, later known as the Columbus Tigers until 1926, were renowned not just for the father-son duo but for featuring six Nesser brothers—John, Paul, Phil, Ted, Frank, and Al— who played at various times in the early 20th century.
Ice hockey, too, has its celebrated family moments with Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty. Gordie, an elder statesman of the sport, first joined his sons on the ice with the World Hockey Association's Houston Aeros in 1973. Mark Howe, matching his father’s prowess, scored his first professional goal exactly 27 years after Gordie notched his initial tally with the Detroit Red Wings. The family trio later transitioned to the NHL’s Hartford Whalers in the 1979-80 season, with Gordie contributing 15 goals and 26 assists, proving that skill and tenacity run deep in the Howe family.
Baseball has witnessed its own father-son dynamic with Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., who both donned the Seattle Mariners' uniform from 1990 to 1991. Their most memorable moment came on September 14, 1990, when they hit back-to-back home runs, a sequence that underscored their synergy both genetically and on the field. During the 1990 season, Ken Griffey Jr. demonstrated his escalating talent with 91 runs, 22 home runs, and a .300 batting average, a harbinger of his illustrious career ahead.
In more recent baseball history, Tim Raines Sr. and Tim Raines Jr. provided a touching father-son narrative when they shared the outfield for the Baltimore Orioles in the closing stages of the 2001 season. On October 4, 2001, Tim Raines Sr. covered left field while his son manned center field, making for a rare and emotional family tandem on a professional baseball field.
LeBron and Bronny James are poised to join an exclusive fraternity of NBA father-son pairs, expanding a legacy that already includes notable duos such as Greg and Cole Anthony, Mychal and Klay Thompson, Bill and Luke Walton, and the Curry family. Dell, Steph, and Seth Curry have particularly carved out a multi-generational impact in the NBA, showcasing a blueprint of achievement that the James family could potentially follow.
As the upcoming NBA season approaches, the sports world waits with bated breath to witness what could be a defining moment in basketball history. The potential for Bronny and LeBron to play side by side isn’t just a testament to their individual talents but also to a legacy of basketball excellence and a shared dream realized. Their on-court collaboration might signify not just a personal milestone but also an embodiment of the familial bond in the highest tier of professional sports.