Père et fils

There were four minutes left in the second quarter of the Lakers’ homestand the other day when newly installed head coach JJ Redick finally pulled the trigger on twin substitutions that the sellout crowd at Crypto.com Arena had been anticipating from opening tip. A loud roar erupted as LeBron James and Bronny James made their way to the scorers’ table, and once the clock started running anew, history was made. For the first time since the National Basketball Association set up shop in 1946, a father-son tandem shared the court.

Considering the circumstances that led to the two players burning rubber alongside each other, it’s fair to argue that the moment will never be replicated. To begin with, the elder James continues to be in the league — and, in fact, the face of the league — only because of his longevity borne of extraordinary brains, skill, and athleticism. He’s pushing 40, with 22 years’ worth of mileage on his odometer, and yet he’s still starting and playing extended minutes for the Lakers. Which, for all intents, is why his junior was chosen 55th overall in the 2024 draft, and subsequently given a roster spot.

For the record, père et fils were on the floor together for a grand total of three minutes. Not a lot of time, really, but enough to serve its purpose. And, not coincidentally, all the members of James’ immediate family were among the 18,997 on hand to witness the occasion. Forget that LeBron didn’t have a particularly spectacular night, or that Bronny’s stat line was filled with zeros. The bottom line was clear to all and sundry, the two Ken Griffeys — who had themselves similarly broken ground in Major League Baseball — included.

Needless to say, what made the turn of events even more memorable was the win that the Lakers wound up forging against the highly touted Timberwolves. Their emphatic triumph over the Western Conference Finalists served as the cake that made the icing relevant. For all the pomp, their bottom line remains. And while one contest does not a season make, it does set the tone for what is to come. The purple and gold mean business. Enough said.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.