Bronny James hits first shot in Cleveland, where he dreamed of making NBA while dad LeBron played

CLEVELAND —  Hey everyone and welcome to a special road edition of the Times’ Lakers Newsletter, where the Lakers just got destroyed by the Cleveland Cavaliers on a bad night for anyone not named Bronny James.

But first, a note on the Dodgers. The World Series definitely took over a decent chunk of attention in the Lakers locker room. Jarred Vanderbilt wore a black Dodgers cap. After the game, Austin Reaves had Game 5 on his phone. LeBron James’ media session got delayed to watch the New York Yankees bat with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth.

Anyways, on to the most exciting baseline jumper in a 22-point loss in league history.

Bronny meets the moment

The double cheeseburger and the onion rings. That’s what had Bronny smiling Wednesday morning. It was his go-to order at Swensons, the burger joint in Akron, Ohio that his family always visits when they’re back in town.

The James family’s favorite sat in bags inside the Lakers locker room Wednesday night in Cleveland, but Bronny didn’t carry any out with him as he left the arena. The stuff in his bag was much more valuable.

Bronny left with his jersey and the net from the Rocket Mortgage Arena court. The game ball wasn’t far behind.

It was here, in Cleveland, where Bronny and the children of other Cavaliers players used to sneak away to the top floor of the arena to get up shots while their fathers played on the court below.

It was here where Bronny dreamed of being an NBA player, a dream he chased since he first touched a basketball.

And, almost cinematically, it was here, in the closing minutes of a blowout as his father‘s teammate, where Bronny made his first basket as a pro, and left with the memorabilia to prove it.

He entered the game with the sold-out crowd chanting his name and begging for him to shoot every time he touched the ball. But Bronny, like he’s been since he was drafted into this wild situation, didn’t flinch.

“My sense is that he’s better than I would have been in that situation, 20,000 fans screaming my name to get in the game, and wanting me to be in the game, and if the role’s reversed, I don’t know if I would have been able to handle it,” LeBron said after the game, Bronny to his right. “Just commend him on his composure, the way he approaches, not only the game, but just approach life in general. And to see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far away from here, it’s an unbelievable moment. An unbelievable moment for him, first of all. For our family. It’s just pretty cool to be a part of it.”

Bronny, like usual, was more understated about a moment that was historic. In the season opener, he and LeBron became the first father and son to play together in an NBA game. Wednesday was the first time a father and son scored on the same night.

“I’ve been watching this guy for a minute playing in the league,” Bronny said of his dad. “Just dreaming of me being in those players’ steps, not only his, but players he used to play against and with. So yeah, it was just a dream come true for me. Felt really good. After the fact, I was still in game mode when I hit the shot, so I didn’t really acknowledge it while I was playing. But yeah, it felt good after.”

As James stood in the hallway waiting to meet his friends and family, he proudly looked at his jersey and the net from the court. He had accomplished something, something that in the grand scheme of things was pretty incredible.

He did something he set out to do, years earlier, in one of the places where that very dream sprouted.

Song of the week

“Dreams” by The Cranberries

There is plenty of room for skepticism when it comes to Bronny, the Lakers and whether or not he belongs. On a night when there was nothing good to say about the way the team played, Bronny stepping onto the court and, with the crowd chanting his name, making his only shot — it counts as a real moment.

“You always remember your first basket, but for him to do it here, I know it means the world to him. I know he got the basketball,” Anthony Davis said. “And a special memory for him. It sucks that we didn’t get the win, obviously. But I know it’s something that he’ll remember. Most guys’ first basket probably is a little foggy. But for him, I think it’s something that he’ll remember very vividly.”

Even his teammates thought it was cool to see a dream come true.

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