PALM SPRINGS, California — The Lakers lost to Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday evening, but history was still made in Palm Springs, California.

At noon in the second quarter, LeBron James and Bronny James shared the court together, marking the first time a father and son played side by side on an NBA floor.

The 39-year-old LeBron is entering his 22nd season, his seventh with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bronny, 20, was the Lakers’ second-round pick in the 2024 draft after spending one season at USC.

Bronny made his preseason debut Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 16 minutes in a game the Lakers lost 124-107. LeBron made his debut Sunday night and led the Lakers with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Bronny played 13 minutes and was held scoreless.

Our NBA insiders break down the historic night, from what Bronny showed on the court during training camp and two preseason games to what else he needs to prove to get actual, meaningful NBA minutes.

What Bronny has shown on the field so far?

Most importantly, he has shown a level of competitiveness both defensively and on the ball. That was evident in the three blocks he had in 16 minutes of work in the Lakers’ season opener last week. (Bronny also showed off his defensive work ethic during the first defensive possession he shared with LeBron, in which the Lakers forced a turnover, with father and son teaming up as stoppers by swarming at the top of the key.)

Bronny is not always flawless on D. For example, on Sunday he fouled a three-point shooter in the last two minutes of a close game. But he has very fast feet and is physically strong enough to occasionally get people up. That’s the good news. The challenge is the flip side: that creating his own offense, and doing so efficiently, won’t be easy. Especially when you consider the demands of the position he plays in, and the fact that minutes don’t come naturally when the games start to count for something.

He had three turnovers in his first three minutes of action Sunday (and four total miscues), including committing a traveling foul and an illegal screen. Additionally, the 20-year-old has gone a combined 1-for-7 through the Lakers’ first two preseason games so far — an early indication that he will likely have to work as much as possible to develop his offense. within the margins of practices and waste time after the regular season begins.

Where Bronny James is ready for rotation, and where he isn’t

If Bronny could crack the Lakers’ rotation, it would have to come at the expense of last year’s first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino and veteran guard Gabe Vincent.

If he does get a few minutes on the spot during the regular season, it is due to his strong defensive presence.

The video in the media player above is the 24/7 streaming channel ABC7 Los Angeles

James can hold his own there, as evidenced by his pursuit of the Timberwolves’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the exhibition opener. He finished the game by blocking two more shots. In the Lakers’ second preseason game, he harassed veteran point guard Tyus Jones and even defended forward Royce O’Neale.

“He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique, and I think he can be a really disruptive defender,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after the Minnesota game. “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.”

Indeed, his offense remains a work in progress.

His issues from summer league have carried over to both preseason games so far. In Sunday’s game against the Suns, Redick made it a priority to surround James with shooters Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht; Last season at USC, James shot 36.6% from the field and 26.7% on three-pointers.

With G-League training camp not starting until October 28 and the South Bay Lakers’ first game on November 9, expect Bronny James to be on the Lakers’ active roster to start the season, even if its role is not yet defined.

What these shared minutes between LeBron and Bronny mean – for now

What did you do to celebrate your 20th birthday? For Bronny, it was his first time playing with his father in an NBA game, with Kevin Durant, who has known Bronny since he was a toddler, on the other side.

Father and son behaved completely nonchalantly, as if it were an ordinary Sunday evening, but this was of course special. The audience knew it too. The first time LeBron passed the ball to Bronny, you could hear the fans murmuring in anticipation. And this was just a plague. If this happens in the regular season, it will be a truly unique moment in the history of the league.