April 18, 2026 — LOS ANGELES — For the first time in NBA postseason history, LeBron James and his son Bronny James shared the floor, turning a routine first-round matchup into a landmark family moment for the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the Lakers’ backcourt thinned by injuries, head coach JJ Redick inserted the 20-year-old guard late in the first half of Game 1 against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena. Bronny logged four minutes alongside his father as Los Angeles secured a 1-0 series lead.
“I was on the floor with my son in a playoff game,” LeBron said afterward. “That’s probably the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me in my career. My mom got to watch her son and grandson in the playoffs. That’s insane.”
LeBron, a four-time champion appearing in his 20th postseason, acknowledged that no advice fully prepares a player for the atmosphere. “Everybody in their first playoff game is nervous,” he said, recalling his own postseason debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2006. “Once you get the jitters out, you kind of know what to expect. He’ll be better the next time his number is called.”
Bronny, the former USC guard selected 41st overall in 2025, appeared in 42 regular-season games this year and showed incremental growth. Redick said the team relies on him for spot minutes while veteran ball-handlers recover. “We trust him in a postseason setting,” the coach noted earlier in the week.
The Lakers and Rockets resume their best-of-seven series later this week in Los Angeles.
Source: LakersNation.com
