When the moment comes that LeBron James and Bronny James share the court for the first time in an NBA game, the sports world will stand still. The Los Angeles Lakers have created the first father-son duo in Association history, and headlines will be made when they officially join forces.
Most suspect that the younger James' will spend most of the 2024-25 season in the G League, but a timeline has been provided for when the highly-anticipated moment will transpire.
The Lakers selected Bronny James at No. 55 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. Mere weeks later, LeBron James re-signed with the franchise on a two-year, $101,355,998 deal that includes a player option for the 2025-26 campaign.
In a recent appearance Zach Lowe's The Lowe Post, Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke about the younger James and how he views him entering the 2024-25 season.
"I think Bronny is a young guy. I'm very high on him as a basketball player. I said this at his press conference: He's our first player that we get to mold and help develop. And so, we're going to look at the G League as a tool in our player development system."
When asked about playing the two Jameses alongide one another, Redick simply stated:
"That's gonna happen. It's going to happen sooner rather than later."
It's not a definitive timeline, but it certainly seems as though the distraction of constant calls from the media for it to transpire will be answered early.
Bronny, LeBron James will share the court sooner than later
As the younger James prepares for his first NBA season, the elder is entering his record-tying 22nd campaign. He'll turn 40 in December and will have a chance to extend his record with a 21st career All-NBA nod in 2024-25.
Whether or not James secures that honor, the fact that it's even considered a possibility is a testament to his unrivaled longevity.
This past season, James averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.1 three-point field goals made per game. He posted the best three-point shooting percentage of his career at .410, marking his first season at .400 or better since 2012-13.
James also posted his highest assist average in four seasons and tallied his best field goal percentage since 2017-18.
Bronny James, meanwhile, is coming off of a freshman season with the USC Trojans that was almost entirely derailed by a life-threatening event. He went into cardiac arrest on July 24, 2023, and inevitably missed invaluable time with the team.
James miraculously returned to the court less than five months later, but his production and quality of play inevitably suffered.
James entered the collegiate ranks as a four-star recruit, however, who had been named a McDonald's All-American as a high school senior. He also flashed some of his upside at Summer League, including the 13 points he scored against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With the 2024-25 regular season rapidly approaching, both Bronny and LeBron James will have a chance to make history and set the course for a season that defies expectations.