In a moment that transcended the box score, LeBron James and his son, Bronny James, made NBA history Saturday night as the first father-son duo to play together in a postseason game. The Los Angeles Lakers secured a 107-98 victory over the Houston Rockets to open their first-round series, but the night belonged to a legacy decades in the making.
“I was on the floor with my son in a playoff game,” LeBron said postgame. “That’s probably the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me in my career.” The milestone was witnessed by the entire James family, including LeBron’s mother, Gloria, who watched both her son and grandson compete on the playoff stage.
With the Lakers missing top scorers Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, the 41-year-old LeBron took command early. He dished out eight assists in the first quarter—a career playoff high for any single frame and a Lakers franchise record for the play-by-play era. Finishing with 19 points and 13 assists, James became the first player age 41 or older to record a points-assists double-double in the playoffs. His fifth assist of the night also moved him past the 2,100-career playoff assist mark, joining Magic Johnson as the only players to reach that milestone.
The Lakers’ victory was further bolstered by Luke Kennard, who stepped up in the absence of the team’s leading scorers to net a playoff career-high 27 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 from deep. On the other side, Houston felt the absence of Kevin Durant, who was sidelined with a knee contusion.
For LeBron, the win marked his 185th career playoff victory, but sharing the court with Bronny remained the pinnacle. “That’s just insane,” he remarked, reflecting on the journey from Bronny being one year old during his first playoff win to now being teammates in the hunt for another title.
