The Lakers star discussed his eventful weekend with reporters in Dallas on Tuesday night
Bronny James; LeBron James. PHOTO:
After winning the NBA’s In-Season Tournament and its MVP trophy, LeBron James is reflecting on another standout memory from last weekend — watching son Bronny play in his first college game for USC.
“It was everything for my family,” the Los Angeles Lakers star, 38, told reporters in Dallas after the Lakers lost to the Mavericks 127-125 on Tuesday night. “It was just an emotional, draining day, from the time we all woke up to the time that the buzzer hit zeros.”
Bronny, 19, played 16 minutes and finished with four points, three assists and two rebounds in the game on Sunday against Long Beach State in which the Trojans were upset in overtime.
“I think the most important thing, who cares about the win or loss, the kid was standing tall and standing strong at the end of the game, and that is a blessing in its own right, and that is a win,” LeBron said.
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He added, “He’s won at life and everything else at this point is extra credit and we were there to support him.”
Enjoying Bronny’s debut was never up for debate as far as the superstar was concerned — even if it conflicted with the Lakers’ schedule.
But the team had the day off after beating the Indiana Pacers Saturday night in Las Vegas to clinch the league’s first-ever mid-season tournament.
After Bronny was cleared to return to the court months after he suffered cardiac arrest during a USC practice in July (and was later diagnosed with “an anatomically and functionally significant congenital heart defect” by doctors), LeBron vowed to watch the milestone in person.
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“I’m looking forward to his first game. Whenever he’s cleared, and whenever he’s ready to have his first game, I already told my teammates that if they play on the same day we play, I’m going to have to catch them next game,” LeBron said in a video shared by Spectrum Sports Net earlier this month.
For LeBron and his wife Savannah, watching their son fulfill his own dream was a moment to savor.
“The first person out of our family, out of the James gang, to grace a college campus and a college floor,” LeBron said, “That was pretty cool.”