By Can Erozden
ANKARA (AA) – US basketball superstar LeBron James and his 20-year-old son Bronny became the first father and son duo to play together in an NBA game when the Los Angeles Lakers won their season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103 on Tuesday night.
With four minutes remaining in the second quarter, Lakers pair LeBron and Bronny checked in together as both players received a big ovation from the fans at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena.
LeBron, 39, who is the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 40,490 points in 1,493 games, has entered his 22nd season. He won four NBA titles, the last in 2020 with the Lakers, and separately secured three Olympic gold medals with the Team USA at the Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Paris 2024.
He scored 16 points against the Timberwolves. Lakers guard Bronny James played two minutes and 41 seconds but did not score in his NBA debut.
Anthony Davis-led Lakers took a home win as the 31-year-old forward-center scored a game-high 36 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to be the key player of the game.
Rui Hachimura, a Lakers forward, added 18 points.
The Timberwolves were led by shooting guard Anthony Edwards, who racked up 27 points.
Meanwhile, Ken Griffey Sr. and his son Ken Jr., who were the first father and son duo in baseball to play in a 1990 MLB (Major League Baseball) game for the Seattle Mariners, appeared at the Crypto.com Arena to watch the historic Lakers vs. Timberwolves game and pose for a photo with LeBron and Bronny.
- Defending champions Celtics beat Knicks
In the other game of the night, defending champions Boston Celtics hammered the New York Knicks 132-109 in their opener at Boston's TD Garden.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum scored 37 points to play a major role in his team's large win. Derrick White, a Boston guard, had 24 points, and his teammate Jaylen Brown scored 23 points.
New York's Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride scored 22 points each. Karl-Anthony Towns, who joined the Knicks earlier in October, added 12 points for the visitors.
In a ceremony, the Celtics celebrated their 18th NBA title, raising the Banner No. 18 to the rafters of the TD Garden. The Boston players including Tatum had their 2024 championship rings as well.