The Los Angeles Lakers were locked in a tight second-quarter battle with the Brooklyn Nets when a moment unfolded that the NBA had never seen before. With the score 44-42, the ball moved from son to father and back again, ending with a 26-foot three-pointer that sent Crypto.com Arena into a roar.
It was the first father-son assist in NBA history. And it belonged to LeBron and Bronny James.
The sequence began with Bronny James feeding his father at the top of the key. When the defense collapsed to double-team the 41-year-old superstar, he made the instinctive play: he delivered a perfect pass back to his wide-open son on the wing. Bronny didn’t hesitate, knocking down the triple with a clean stroke.
The moment extended a historic week for the younger James, who had logged 13 meaningful minutes against the Indiana Pacers just two nights prior. For LeBron, it was another entry in a record book he has rewritten for two decades, but this one hit differently.
After the Lakers’ 116-99 victory, the elder James reflected on what the play represented. He spoke of not taking for granted the chance to share the floor with his son, noting the confidence and rhythm Bronny is rediscovering following the cardiac arrest episode he suffered during his freshman season at USC.
LeBron described how his son faked a pass to the corner before rising up, calling the moment a “cool moment” for their family. The assist capped a night where LeBron posted 14 points and eight assists, while Bronny’s three points came in just over four minutes of floor time.
The James duo made history in October 2024 as the first father-son pair to play together in an NBA game. Now, they have added another unprecedented chapter: the league’s first father-to-son assist. With the Lakers locked into the third seed in the Western Conference and the playoffs approaching, the moment stands as a milestone on a journey that continues to capture the basketball world.
