LeBron James is still one of the most formidable players in the National Basketball Association, but his long tenure in the league also means that he’s transitioned into a mentor role for many players. For the youngest NBA stars, LeBron is now old enough to be their father, and for one NBA player in particular, LeBron actually is his father, and they play on the same team.
Yes, the history-making father-son duo of LeBron and Bronny James are still playing together for the Los Angeles Lakers, and while most of the time they just get to be teammates, sometimes we see Dad LeBron come out on the court, like he did in one moment during an April 5 Sunday Night Basketball matchup against the Mavericks.
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LeBron’s on-court coaching for Bronny
The back of the jersey’s of Bronny James and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers during the game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Los Angeles has already clinched their division and a spot in the postseason, while the Mavericks have already been eliminated. Still, that meant young, rising stars got more playing time and a chance to show off their skills, including Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg and, of course, Bronny James.
Late in the third quarter of the game, Bronny was on the court alongside his father as the Lakers took the ball down the court and tried to set up a basket. LeBron called for a pass, and Bronny tossed him a floater that was quickly tipped out of bounds by Mavericks Forward Marvin Bagley III. Because the pass was high, the 6’10” Bagley had an easy shot to intercept, and LeBron immediately saw what his son could have done differently.
Careful viewers soon caught LeBron swinging his arms downward at an angle and mouthing “Bounce pass!” to his son, indicating that a low pass would likely have connected where a high one could not. Mike Tirico and Jamal Crawford, calling the game for NBC Sports, quickly caught on to the exchange.
“I love that look, because that look was not just LeBron the veteran, it was also LeBron the Dad,” Tirico said.
You can watch the moment play out right here.
The Mavericks ended up taking Sunday night’s game by a final score of 134-128, on the strength of a 45-point game from Flagg. Dallas wraps up its 2025-2026 campaign with four games this week, while the Lakers also face four more opponents (including the defending champion Thunder) ahead of their postseason run.
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