Despite the fact that the Cavaliers are cruising this season with their first 5-0 start since 2016 and crushed the Lakers last night with a 134-110 win, not all was bad for the purple and gold camp. Yes, the Los Angeles team are now 3-2, but the night also witnessed Bronny James’ first-ever NBA points in a heartwarming return to Ohio.
Incredibly enough, it was clear since the beginning that the father and son duo from California were well received in Cleveland, as the crowd rooted for them several times during the game. However, most of their excitement came as Bronny was preparing to enter his second-official NBA match.
The audience chanted “We Want Bronny!” midway through the third quarter, until coach JJ Redick decided to do something about in the fourth quarter. It was during these last minutes when the 20-year-old scored on a 14-foot step-back over rival Jaylon Tyson, causing a huge roar from the home stands.
#BronnyJames scores first career points with the Lakers Wednesday against the Cavs pic.twitter.com/nCs90fB5BU
— All Tea All Shade (@TeaTimeTips2) October 31, 2024
“It was insane,” Bronny shared about the experience, after scoring 2 points, handing out 2 assists and earning one steal in five minutes. “Much more than I anticipated for sure. But it’s all love. It was insane. It was a nice moment. The chants really got me. I was straight-faced, but I felt it and it felt really good, especially coming from here. Yeah, it was a special moment for me for sure.”
His father was just as hyped as his son after the game, as it reminded him of his rookie days in Cleveland back in 2003. “He’s better than I would have been in that situation — 20,000 fans screaming my name to get in the game and wanting me to be in the game, and if the role’s reversed, I don’t know if I would have been able to handle it,” said LeBron, who dropped 26 points but suffered six turnovers throughout the contest.
“To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far away from here, it’s an unbelievable moment,” he insisted. “An unbelievable moment for him, first of all. For our family. It’s just pretty cool to be a part of it.”
Last time Bronny saw some action was back on opening night, when he was subbed in against the Timberwolves. The difference was that he shot 0-for-2 from the field in three minutes of play, as his grandmother Gloria was sitting in the stands witnessing the rookie’s NBA debut.
Bronny and LeBron talked reminisce about the importance of Cleveland in their lives, and how they appreciate the crowd’s warm welcome
You could easily say that the James family feels at home in Cleveland, the city that saw LeBron make his NBA debut and later on win NBA titles. Even though the Akron native was once vilified by the club’s fans when he first signed with the Miami Heat, they let go all resentment when the 39-year-old made his return 10 years ago.
“We spent a lot of years here,” LeBron after losing the game. “We’re part of this community, obviously. … We were born not too far from here, 35 miles south of here, [our] hometown of Akron. And I spent 11 years of my NBA career — half of my career — here.”
Last night marked an exact decade since James returned to the Ohio franchise for his second stint with the Cavs. Incredibly enough, 10 years later a young Bronny made NBA history with his first-ever points in the big stages, a moment he had been working for a long time.
“I’ve been just taught to play the right way my whole life,” Bronny said sitting next to his father during their postgame news conference. “So, just me going in there and playing my game is always something that I’m going to do.”
