Family business: Playing professional sport with a parent can cast a big shadow | Emma John

The first father-son to play in the NBA follow in rare sporting footsteps but at least they aren’t trying to beat each other

LeBron James’s shadow is a big one for anyone to step into. Earlier this year the NBA’s all-time leading scorer topped 40,000 points and played in a record 20th All-Star game. On Tuesday, the 39-year-old recorded another first: he played in the NBA alongside his son. Which means Bronny James, too, has achieved something unique in the history of basketball. Not bad for a 20-year-old rookie who’s played three minutes in the big leagues, against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The occasion was hyped to the max – Nike made a bespoke advert in which LeBron supposedly hazed his new teammate – and yes, it was a sentimental moment, not least because Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest in training last year. But it was also a feat of engineering, years in the making. The Lakers star had made it perfectly clear, when his son was still playing in high school, what he wanted, and what he expected his employers to do about it. “My last year will be played with my son,” James said in 2022. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be.”