LeBron set to make record-tying 19th playoff trip alongside son Bronny
lebron-set-to-make-record-tying-19th-playoff-trip-alongside-son-bronny
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — When the Los Angeles Lakers face the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their first-round series Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, LeBron James will match Karl Malone and John Stockton for the most postseason appearances in NBA history with 19. At 41, the four-time champion says the milestone is secondary to a new experience: sharing the playoff floor with his 21-year-old son, guard Bronny James.
“Me being on the floor with him — it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career, above everything that I’ve accomplished,” LeBron said after Thursday’s practice. “He earned it, he deserves it, and he’ll be ready.”
Bronny’s late-season breakthrough
Bronny, a second-year Laker, moved into head coach JJ Redick’s rotation after injuries sidelined starting guards Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique strain). Over the final six regular-season games, he averaged 7.2 points on 47.2% shooting — including 42.9% from three — along with 1.8 assists and 1.0 rebound in 17.2 minutes.
“My dream is to play in the playoffs,” Bronny said. “I wasn’t able to play in March, so this is a bigger stage than that, and I’m completely and totally excited to get out there with my teammates.”
The No. 55 pick in the 2024 draft missed the South Bay Lakers’ G League postseason run last month because of his NBA call-up. He also skipped March Madness during his lone collegiate season, when USC finished 15-18 and failed to reach the NCAA tournament. Bronny appeared briefly in two playoff games last year, totaling four minutes in blowout losses to Minnesota.
Coach’s confidence and season numbers
Redick said the short-handed Lakers will need “all hands on deck” against fifth-seeded Houston. “I think Bronny’s improved a lot. We trust him,” the coach noted, pointing to the guard’s progress as a shooter and defender. Bronny closed his sophomore NBA season averaging 2.9 points on 40.9% shooting (38.6% from three) and 1.2 assists, up from 2.3 points on 31.3% shooting and 0.8 assists as a rookie.
LeBron’s preparation sets the tone
Despite battling a hoarse voice while recovering from illness, LeBron said Los Angeles’ practices ahead of the series were “really good.” He added that his approach doesn’t change from regular season to playoffs except for “even more heightened focus” on opponent tendencies.
Bronny said the team plans to follow his father’s lead. “He’s won series, won Finals,” the younger James said. “We just need to have our mind open and ears open and listen to whatever he says because he wants to win.”
The Lakers enter the series as the No. 4 seed, seeking a deep run with a unique father-son pairing now part of their postseason storyline.
Source: ESPN
