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LALHistory or hype? LeBron and Bronny James share spotlight in symbolic, yet complex Lakers win
LOS ANGELES — All in all, it was three minutes.
Three minutes of history, of a father and son ripping off their warmups to camera phones and flash bulbs popping.
Three minutes of the show getting in the way of the game, the moment getting in the way of winning.
Seminal moment or clown show? It all depends on the eyes of the beholder, watching LeBron James and Bronny James take the floor at the same time, late in the second quarter of the Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“I talked about it, years and years ago and for this moment to come, it was pretty cool,” LeBron James said. “In the moment, we still had a job to do when we checked in. We wasn’t trying to make it a circus, we wasn’t trying to make it about us. We wanted to make it about the game.”
“We kept the main thing the main thing.”
The circus does always seem to follow LeBron James, and it doesn’t seem like it’ll stop soon. This just happens to be the first time, as noted by Anthony Davis, that a milestone moment occurred in a Lakers win. So many celebrations have taken place within the backdrop of a loss, and before the night began, it certainly felt like Tuesday would follow a similar trek.
But the Timberwolves seemed bored and disengaged for most of the night, only showing glimpses of the team that made a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals a few months ago.
It aided in the Lakers’ 110-103 win, and the win was soothing considering the criticism that would’ve come their way had those three minutes been costly.
“I was wondering during a dead ball why everybody started cheering so loud and then I realized what was happening,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I was like, 'that’s cool.' It presented an opportunity for Bronny. He’s played well, competed through preseason just to give him a chance to get it going in a regular season game.”
The hype leading up to the game obscured other prevalent storylines that will take center stage for the next several months. Redick’s slicked hair was doused with water after his first win as head coach, and Davis was the one who led the way, dominating Rudy Gobert with 36 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 37 minutes.
If Davis is truly going to be the focal point, a statement we’ve heard more than a few times before, this is the start. He motioned to the crowd more than once, seemingly pointing out Gobert was no match for him, and Davis stopped all air traffic near the rim with his presence.
“Just carryover from the Olympics,” Davis said, referencing his time winning a gold medal with the U.S. men's national basketball team in Paris. “I mean, I’ve had a summer where I got to play basketball. Playing high intensity with some great competition, alongside some great players who made me better. Coming into camp ready to go … it translated into regular-season games."
That helped make the moment inconsequential in the big picture, but it’s a moment the elder James won’t be able to forget. A moment, the younger James probably couldn’t envision a year ago when he suffered a cardiac arrest playing at USC, not far away from Crypto.com Arena.
On the floor, not much happened. Bronny got scored on by Julius Randle, and missed a 3-pointer off a pass from his dad. For those hoping for a Ken Griffey father-son moment, back-to-back home runs delivered in Disney-like fashion in 1990, it was a dream that wouldn’t come true.
“I try not to focus on everything that’s going on around me,” Bronny James said. “Going in as a rookie and trying not to mess up. I totally did feel the energy and appreciate the Laker nation for showing me support.”
The baseball duo was in attendance, taking in the moment and posing for photos with the James clan before the game began. It was clear the Lakers wanted it to be a spectacle, and also, wanted to get it over with to remove the pressure and expectations for all involved. The Lakers hold onto tradition, clutching it like a warm blanket on a breezy night while the rest of the NBA goes about its business.
A minute after Bronny James checked out, Laker great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was being gingerly escorted to the back, aided by a wheelchair. Once the 77-year old was recognized by a large smattering of fans near the tunnel, they cheered “Kareem” in appreciation, almost ignoring the game for around 15 seconds.
And shortly after Lakers longtime PA announcer Lawrence Tanter noted to the crowd of the Jameses making history, he also announced a halftime ceremony commemorating the life of the late Jerry West would happen — another illustration of the connective tissue that permeates through the franchise.
Now, it stands to point out West didn’t have the greatest relationship with the Lakers in his latter years, recently serving as an adviser to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers before his death in June — his grievances not exactly a secret to anyone within reasonable earshot of the Lakers or Clippers.
Their second most important figure — behind Magic Johnson — felt alienated by the franchise he helped build on the floor and mold off it, and concerning James, they didn’t want to take the chance of upsetting him when they knew his wishes.
That’s why at this point, the clutch-grabbing over Bronny James can be released. It’s not an insult for him to play three minutes. The insult came in selecting him, even at the 55th spot, when it seemed clear he wasn’t ready. The greater one came in giving him a four-year guaranteed contract when it was clear he wasn’t ready to contribute as a bonafide NBA player.
If you remove the cringeworthy details surrounding nepotism and merit, you could see how LeBron James being there for Bronny was soothing.
LeBron went through the nerves on the eve and day of his first game, that nationally televised event in Sacramento some 21 years ago. He admittedly couldn’t sleep the night before and couldn’t get through his customary pregame nap.
“I was extremely nervous. I felt the world, the game of basketball on my shoulders,” James said. “I felt everyone outside my family and friends wanted me to fail. I just kind of channeled that in. I was nervous, my stomach was turning.”
But you can’t remove those issues, even as Bronny looked so precocious and somewhat fidgety sitting next to his father during their joint news conference. Whatever Bronny will become, if he will become anything over these next four years as he will be given the chance, LeBron will be able to relate in some way, even through the struggles.
But Bronny was cheered, and even if there are those who point out the odds are more likely that he fails, it’s impossible to say the world is against him.
Father and son came as a package deal, and presumably the spectacle is over. But even if you turn your nose up at it for obvious reasons, James’ influence extended to the seven footer who dominated the night — because the Lakers wouldn’t have Anthony Davis without LeBron.
Like always, it’s never cut and dry with LeBron James — it was three minutes of gray.
