CLEVELAND — The collective chants began late in the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James did his best acting job to maintain a cool demeanor before a sold-out Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse crowd.
“It was insane, much more than I anticipated, for sure,” he said after the Lakers’ 134-110 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. “It was a nice moment. The chants really got me. I was straight-faced, but I felt it. It felt really good, especially coming from here. It was a special moment for me.”
A week after LeBron James and Bronny James became the first father-son duo to play on the same court together in an NBA game Oct. 22, their return to their native Ohio generated praise and pride for the father, a legendary player who spent 11 of his NBA years with the Cavaliers, and for his son, who spent his formative years in an arena watching his father play.
In anticipation of the Lakers’ visit, the love fest began several weeks ago. The idea of the Jameses playing for the same team was a popular subject of conversation in barbershops, especially in their hometown of Akron.
“First, we all couldn’t believe that someone would be able to last this long to play with their son,” said Jason Andrew, owner of Andrew’s Barbershop in West Akron. “And when it comes to criticism of LeBron looking out for his son, it’s no different in corporate America. They look out for their sons, why not LeBron?”
Since LeBron James helped the Cavaliers win their only NBA title in 2016, he remains well received by fans who made Wednesday’s game a hot ticket.
“This game brings another level of excitement,” Deonte Edwards, owner of Kutz Barbershop in Akron, said before the game. “It’s always love when LeBron comes back, and it’ll be the same for Bronny.”
Anticipation also spilled over to some of LeBron’s former teammates. Former Cavaliers guard Daniel “Boobie” Gibson is all too familiar with the love affair fans in Northeast Ohio have with their athletes.
“The game in LA, where they set history, was more like a look,” Gibson said. “But here, it’s more of a feel. It’s more genuine. Fans here are more connected to [Bronny’s] story because he’s from here. And they’re going to support him.”
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Earlier in the day, before the Lakers’ shootaround, Gibson said his support as a fan would be surreal because he hadn’t seen Bronny James since he was a child.
“Which makes this game even bigger, because this is a place where I saw him when we held up the Eastern Conference championship trophy [2006-07],” Gibson said. “Seeing LeBron still playing at a top level, and now his son being in the league, doesn’t seem real. I’m just happy to be able to soak all of this in.”
Hours before Wednesday’s game, the Cavaliers organization displayed several digital posters at the entrance of the visitors’ locker room. The display included a 15-year-old Bronny in the midst of the Cavaliers’ NBA title celebration, and one of his father holding the championship and MVP trophies.
During the first timeout in the first quarter, the Cavaliers honored father and son with a tribute video that included game highlights of LeBron James and footage of him and an elementary-school-age Bronny on the basketball court. The jumbotron also showed the father and son live on a split screen as in-arena host Ahmaad Crump welcomed them back to Cleveland.
“I was a little angry during that time out [because the Lakers were losing], so I didn’t get an opportunity to really appreciate [the video], but I heard it,” LeBron James said postgame. “When I heard his name, too, that’s when I looked up, and I believe I tapped him on the leg. [The video] was pretty cool.”
The Cavaliers, winners of five straight games, were hot as they led by double digits for much of the game. LeBron James got his. He had 26 points and six rebounds. The Lakers trailed by 20 at the start of the fourth.
Later in the quarter, fans started chanting, “We want Bronny.” With LeBron James on the bench, Lakers coach J.J. Reddick sent his son to the floor with 5:16 left. Several thousand fans stood and cheered. One of those fans was Bronny James’ grandmother, once a fixture in this arena during her son’s reign.
“I’m very thankful to all of the people in the arena who chanted his name and cheered for him,” Gloria James told Andscape. “That was special. Bronny worked hard to get to this day and into the NBA. He’s worthy and deserving of it, and I’m very happy for him and very happy for his dad.”
Bronny James, a second-round pick from USC, gave his grandmother even more to cheer about when, shortly after entering the game, he scored his first NBA points on a short stepback jumper with 2:03 left. The bucket means LeBron and Bronny James are the first father and son to score in an NBA game. Bronny James scored his points almost to the day when his dad scored his first points in the NBA against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 29, 2003.
“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,” LeBron James said. “It’s just pretty cool to be a part of it.”
Bronny James finished with 2 points, 2 assists and 1 steal. The fans didn’t get to see father and son on the court together like last week, but they did walk away with something also memorable — especially for locals Eric Hales and his 10-year-old son Blake.
“I’m here because it’s my son’s birthday and because I wanted him to see LeBron and Bronny’s first game together here in Cleveland,” Hales said. “LeBron and Bronny together on the same team is a great example of father and son working together. There’s no greater joy.”
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