CLEVELAND — Cavaliers fans have become accustomed to watching LeBron James play at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse over the years, from his days at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to his iconic tenure in a Cleveland uniform and now as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Long gone are the days where the sight of James in a visiting jersey would've elicited boos and hisses from the wine and gold faithful. Now, it's nothing but adulation for the beloved "Kid from Akron," and we're not just talking about LeBron Sr. this time.
Wednesday night's game between the Cavaliers and Lakers was extra special, as it marked the first time James' son LeBron Jr., better known as Bronny, would appear in Cleveland as an NBA player. The two already made headlines during last week's season opener by becoming the first father-son duo in league history to play with each other at the same time, let alone for the same team.
That game ended with Bronny playing only three minutes and failing to score any points, and the 2024 second-round draft pick hadn't seen the court since. On Wednesday, however, with the Jameses back in their hometown, it was rumored a second appearance may be in the cards, and the younger "Kid from Akron" did not disappoint.
With the Cavs blowing out the Lakers late in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles coach JJ Redick acquiesced to fans' wishes and inserted Bronny into the lineup, albeit without LeBron as he sat out to rest for the night. The sellout crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse responded with a loud standing ovation, with Cleveland and LA fans alike chanting the 20-year-old's name.
The game's outcome was no longer in doubt, and Bronny played the final five minutes and 16 seconds. Even with great performances from guys like Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen along with a game-high 26 points from LeBron himself, Bronny stole the show with 2:06 left, nailing a fadeaway jumper over Jaylon Tyson for his first career NBA points. Again, the crowd responded with jubilant cheers.
Bronny finished the evening with two points, two assists, and a steal as the Cavaliers pulled away for a 134-110 victory. With his bucket, he officially put himself and LeBron ahead of Joe "Jellybean" Bryant and Kobe Bryant as the highest-scoring father-son duo in basketball history with 40,582 points between them, though it's worth noting that the elder James has accounted for a record 40,580 of them.
Like his father before him, Bronny was born in Akron and spent most of his adolescence in Northeast Ohio. Prior to tonight's game, the Cavaliers even welcomed the family back with photos from Cleveland's 2016 NBA championship win, showing LeBron holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy and Bronny posing with the team following the legendary Game 7.
