CNN
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LeBron James watched from the bench as his son, Bronny James, played his first preseason NBA minutes for the LA Lakers on Friday.

The 19-year-old played 16 minutes in the Lakers’ 124-107 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, showing glimpses of potential and finishing with two points.

He was introduced to the game in the second quarter, where he played the first half before playing most of the fourth.

After missing his first five shots, Bronny finally made a layup with less than a minute remaining, a shot that was greeted by loud cheers from the Acrisure Arena crowd.

Although his shot wasn’t as sharp as he would have liked, the 6-foot-2 guard blocked three shots, picking up one rebound and one assist.

“He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique, and I think he can be a really disruptive defender,” Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters when asked about Bronny’s performance.

“That manifested itself. On the offensive side, he’s still figuring out who he is. That’s our job as a player development program to build him in.

“But honestly, he’s so easy to coach. He has a wonderful soul. And just a great energy about him. I like being around him. I’m rooting for him. He is a good player who we would like to have in our program.”

Redick opted to rest LeBron against the Timberwolves, but the 39-year-old could be in contention to play Sunday against the Phoenix Suns — which also happens to be Bronny’s 20th birthday.

Bronny, whose jersey is emblazoned with “James Jr.” on the back end, he was selected 55th overall by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft in June, joining his father at the franchise.

The pair are expected to become the first father-son to play together on an NBA team.

Speaking at a Lakers media event earlier this week, Lebron described the moment as “pure joy.”

“When it comes to him (Bronny), I’m at a loss for words. (I’m) just super proud of him for being able to get to this point,” LeBron said as his son sat next to him. “He’s a man and he’s ready to go.

“It’s just so joyful to see him grow and know what he’s been through over the years. And to just use that as motivation every day and get back to where he wanted to be.