LeBron James and Bronny James share the court for the first time in the NBA in the game against the Phoenix Suns

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Lakers lost to Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night, but history was still made in Palm Springs, California.

At 12:00 of the second quarter, LeBron James and Bronny James shared the court together, marking the first time a father and son played side by side on an NBA floor.

The 39-year-old LeBron is entering his 22nd season, his seventh with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bronny, 20, was the Lakers' second-round pick in the 2024 draft after spending one season at USC.

Bronny made his preseason debut Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 16 minutes in a game the Lakers lost 124-107. LeBron made his debut Sunday night and led the Lakers with 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting, while Bronny played 13 minutes and went scoreless.

Our NBA insiders break down the historic night, from what Bronny showed on the court in training camp and in two preseason games to what he still needs to prove to get actual, meaningful NBA minutes.

What has Bronny shown on the pitch so far?

Above all, he has shown a certain level of competitiveness on defense and on the ball. That was evident in the three blocks he had in 16 minutes of work in the Lakers' preseason opener last week. (Bronny also demonstrated his defensive work ethic on the first defensive possession he shared with LeBron, in which the Lakers forced a turnover, with father and son acting as stoppers together by swarming at the top of the key.)

Bronny is not always error-free at D. For example, on Sunday he fouled a three-point shooter in the final two minutes of a close game. But he has very quick feet and is physically strong enough to occasionally lift people up. That's the good news. The challenge is the downside: it will not be easy to create your own offense and do it efficiently. Especially considering how demanding the position he plays is and that once the games count, the minutes don't open up.

In the first three minutes of play on Sunday, he had three turnovers (and four missed throws overall), including committing a traveling violation and an illegal screening. Additionally, the 20-year-old has shot a combined 1-for-7 in the Lakers' first two preseason games so far – an early sign that he will likely need to work as much as possible to develop his offense within the confines of practice and garbage time once it starts the regular season.

Where Bronny James is ready for the rotation and where he isn't

For Bronny to crack the Lakers' rotation, it will have to come at the expense of last year's first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino and veteran guard Gabe Vincent.

If he actually gets point minutes in the regular season, it will be because of his strong defensive presence.

The video shown in the media player above is from the 24/7 streaming channel ABC7 Los Angeles

James can hold his own there, as evidenced by his chase against the Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the exhibition's opener. He finished the game and blocked two more shots. In the Lakers' second preseason game, he pressured veteran point guard Tyus Jones and even defended forward Royce O'Neale.

“He can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique, and I think he can develop into a really disruptive defender,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after the game against Minnesota. “That has been shown. He’s still figuring out who he is on offense. That’s our job as a player development program, just to build him up.”

In fact, his offense remains a work in progress.

His problems from the summer league have carried over to both preparatory games so far. In Sunday's game against the Suns, Redick made a point of surrounding James with shooters Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht; Last season at USC, James shot 36.6% from the field and 26.7% on three-pointers.

Since G League training camp doesn't begin until October 28th and the South Bay Lakers' first game begins on November 9th, it's safe to assume that Bronny James will be on the Lakers' active roster at the start of the season, even if his Role has not yet been determined.

What these shared minutes between LeBron and Bronny mean – for now

What did you do to celebrate your 20th birthday? For Bronny, it was his first time playing in an NBA game with his father, on the other side was Kevin Durant, who has known Bronny since he was a child.

Father and son behaved completely casually, as if it was just a typical Sunday evening, but of course this was special. The audience knew it too. When LeBron passed the ball to Bronny for the first time, you could hear the fans murmuring with anticipation. And that was just a joke. If this happens in the regular season, it will be a truly unique moment in league history.