Bronny James made his long-awaited NBA debut in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 110-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. After the game, his father LeBron James was asked if he remembered what was going through his mind before his debut in 2003, in which he had 25 points, six rebounds, nine assists, and four steals for the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 106-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings, and he sure did.
“Yeah, I definitely remember that moment,” LeBron said. “It was very stressful, it was very stressful for me. Didn’t get much sleep the night before. Didn’t get much sleep during my pregame nap. I was extremely nervous. I felt the world of the game of basketball on my shoulders.
“I felt like kind of pretty much everyone besides my family and friends wanted me to fail,” James added. “And I just kind of channeled that in. I kind of was just very quiet the day of the game. All the way up until the ball went up in the air for the tip-ball, I was nervous. My stomach was turning whatever the case may be. But once the game started, I guess the rest is history.”
Well, the rest is indeed history. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say pretty much everyone except LeBron’s friends and family wanted him to fail, a lot of people certainly did. The hype surrounding him as he entered the NBA straight out of high school was unlike anything the basketball world had ever seen.
LeBron was nicknamed the “Chosen One” before we even played a game in the NBA and when someone is that hyped up, they inevitably draw a lot of hate. Former NBA player Rashad McCants, who was also in high school at the time, admitted that all the attention James was getting back then led to him disliking him.
McCants didn’t believe all the hype was warranted but LeBron has proved that it was. I’d also argue that he has even exceeded the ridiculously high expectations that were placed on him before he entered the league.
After being selected with the first pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, LeBron has gone on to win four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, a scoring title, and an assists title. He is also the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and is considered by some to be the greatest player ever.
As for Bronny’s debut, it wasn’t nearly as impressive as his father’s. The 20-year-old was on the court for just under three minutes and recorded one rebound. Seeing him and LeBron out there was quite special, though, as they made history by becoming the first father-son duo to play together.
LeBron James Expected To Play 2-3 More Seasons In The NBA
LeBron is now in his 22nd season in the NBA and while the end is getting nearer, we aren’t there just yet. Insider Shams Charania reported that James will play at least two more years in the NBA.
Charania added that it wouldn’t be a surprise if LeBron played in the 2026-27 campaign as well, which would be his 24th season in the NBA. If the 20-time All-Star does stick around for that long, he might get to play with his younger son Bryce James as well, which would be ridiculous.
LeBron didn’t have a great outing by his high standards against the Timberwolves in the season opener, with just 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. I don’t believe it was a sign that the 39-year-old has slowed down, though, and normal service should resume soon enough.