The Lakers selected LeBron’s 20-year-old son in the NBA Draft in June, becoming the first father-son duo on the same team.

LeBron James and his eldest son Bronny James have claimed a piece of NBA history by making their long-awaited debuts alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The duo appeared together early in the second quarter on Sunday in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles.

While LeBron impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on the court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going tougher with zero points in just over 13 minutes on the court. The younger James attempted just one shot.

“It was cool for both of us, especially our family,” said LeBron James, 39, after playing alongside Bronny, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Sunday. “It’s definitely a moment I’ll never forget.

“As a father it means everything. For someone who didn’t have a father growing up, to be able to have that influence on your son, to be able to have moments with your son, to be able to work with your son – that’s one of the greatest things a father could ever hope for .”

However, James senior admitted there were moments on court that felt surreal.

“We came out of a timeout and were kind of next to each other. I looked at him a little. It was like I was in The Matrix or something. It just didn’t feel real. But it was great to have those moments.”

Anticipation about when the James duo would become the first father-son duo to appear together in the same NBA lineup has grown since the Lakers selected Bronny with the 55th pick in the NBA Draft in June.

“I’m really excited to be a part of this,” new Lakers coach JJ Redick said after James’ double act.

“It’s cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron’s longevity and competitive stamina. And it speaks to the work Bronny has put in to get to this point.”

Redick introduced Bronny James to the floor as the Lakers led 34-25 in the second quarter.

LeBron James has said that playing with Bronny on the same team has given him a new lease of life as he enters the 22nd season of a stellar career.

“It’s a tremendous excitement, a pure joy, to be able to come to work every day, work hard every day with your son and watch him continue to grow,” James said.

“We push each other. He pushes me. I push him. We push our teammates, and vice versa. So it’s a very joyful moment, not only for myself, but also for our family.

“So it’s pretty awesome. Gives you a lot of life.”

Bronny said at the Lakers’ recent media day that he was fueled by the words of critics who suggested he owes his spot on the Lakers roster entirely to his superstar father.

“I just take all that stuff, the criticism and the backlash that people have given me, and turn it into something that can nourish me,” he said.

Bronny is expected to spend most of his rookie season in the G League, rather than on the Lakers’ senior team.

The Lakers open their 2024-2025 season with a home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 22.