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Bronny James Reveals LeBron Broke Backboard After Losing One-on-One Game

Liam McKeone|
LeBron James and Bronny James have each contributed to the last few Lakers wins.
LeBron James and Bronny James have each contributed to the last few Lakers wins. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Lakers beat the Nets on Friday night, 116-99, in a game that was closer than it should’ve been but adds another mark in the win column for Los Angeles regardless. Luka Dončić continued his scorching March with another 40-burger, recording 41 points on 15-for-25 shooting. And LeBron James made history once more—this time with the help of his son, Bronny.

The younger James has been getting a bit of run over the last two games for the purple-and-gold. He played 13 minutes in the team’s narrow win over the Pacers and took the court for an additional four minutes in the Brooklyn victory. In those four minutes Bronny sunk a three-point shot on an assist from his dad, which marked the first ever father-son assist in NBA history.

It’s another great moment for the pair, and served as another reminder of how special it is that LeBron is playing with Bronny. The longtime superstar said after the game he wasn’t taking anything for granted; he called it “another cool moment for us, and also for the family.”

When it was Bronny’s turn to speak to reporters he echoed similar sentiments. He also shared a hilarious family anecdote about the last time he played his dad in a one-on-one setting.

“The last time I played him one-on-one—I don’t know if this story came out—but he broke a backboard at our house in Miami,” Bronny revealed.

Austin Reaves, sitting next to the younger James during the interview, then chimed in to ask if it was because LeBron lost. With a big grin Bronny nodded and Reaves implored him to include that part in the story.

Imagine, if you will, having a dad who is capable of shattering a backboard in frustration after losing a one-on-one game. Then imagine actually being able to beat such an athlete in a one-on-one game. Rather impressive stuff from the younger James. What we would give for footage of that contest.

No matter how the season ends in Los Angeles it’s been another dream season for the James family as LeBron and Bronny not only share a locker room together but have shared the court together on multiple occasions.

Bronny James earning praise for recent play

The younger James has played a total of 17 minutes over the last two Los Angeles games. In those minutes he recorded modest statistics, totaling seven points, two steals, one rebound and one assist. But coach JJ Redick loved what he saw from the 21-year-old guard.

“He’s gotten significantly better,” Redick said after the win over Indiana. “Our staff has a lot of confidence in him. Felt like this was a game where we really needed him.”

Redick had similar thoughts after Friday night’s contest despite a much shorter stint for Bronny.

“He was great today,” the Lakers coach said. “He’s always ready to play. Hit a big three when things were getting a little wayward there in the second quarter with some turnovers. I’m really happy with where he’s at and very confident in where he’s going to be as a player.”

James is coming along, according to his coach, and the end of the season may provide opportunities for extended run. The Lakers have to clinch their playoff spot and secure the third seed first, but once that happens expect plenty of rest for the stars in Los Angeles. At that point minutes will have to be distributed among the end of the Lakers’ bench and Bronny should get a chance to play some longer stretches of action.

No matter how the team’s championship dreams unfold, though, it’s been another successful season playing together for the James clan.

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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.

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