Bronny James enjoys the “beautiful moment” after scoring his first NBA points

LeBron, battling a cold, left in the fourth quarter after scoring 26 points in 29 minutes. From his seat at the end of the L.A. bench, he watched as his son absorbed the love of a Cleveland crowd that cheered his every move for 11 seasons.

Proud barely described it.

“It’s the greatest thing in the world,” LeBron said of fulfilling a dream for his son.

As the Cavs ran away from the Lakers, Cleveland's fans began chanting, “We want Bronny!” hoping to see the newbie they were watching grow up. The younger James checked in with 5:16 left and was cheered loudly every time he touched the ball.

He got two assists and then scored his first basket as a pro with 2:03 left on a 14-foot shot from the left corner, a basket that was reminiscent of so many that his father, the league's leading scorer, routinely made for the Ball scored Cavs.

When the crowd erupted, Bronny didn't know how to react.

“It was crazy,” he said. “Much more than I expected for sure. It's all love. It was a beautiful moment. The chants really got me. I was going straight, but I felt it and it felt pretty good, especially from here.”

When Bronny was little, he ran through the halls, rode elevators and shot on the practice range at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse while his famous father played games.

Earlier in the day, Bronny thought about his return home to Ohio.

“It’s going to be really special,” he said after the morning shootout. “It feels good to be out here with my dad – in our home.”

LeBron spent 11 seasons in two stints with the Cavs, leading them to the title in 2016 before joining the Lakers as a free agent two years later. The 39-year-old superstar and his 20-year-old son met last week was the first father-son duo to attend an NBA game.

However, Bronny didn't score in the win over Minnesota as he missed both shots.

There was some criticism of the Lakers' decision to sign Bronny, who was a second-round pick after playing a year at USC. While part of the thinking may have been to please LeBron, first-year Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said it was moving to see them together.

“It’s a beautiful story,” Atkinson said. “I can’t imagine having two children of my own. I like playing with my son in the backyard. To do it on an NBA court? Nice story. I love it. I think we should celebrate it.”

Once the Lakers complete this five-game road trip on November 6th, Bronny is expected to join the club's G League team, the South Bay Lakers. Although he was in his home state on business this time, the younger James said it was always a pleasure to return to his roots.

“It feels good to be here,” he said before the game. “It’s nice to slowly live here in Ohio – completely different than LA.”

LeBron was also welcomed with open arms.

The four-time league MVP received a huge ovation during his pregame introduction and then again when the Cavs played a video tribute to him and Bronny on the scoreboard during a timeout in the first quarter.

LeBron joked that he couldn't enjoy it.

“It was a pretty cool moment,” he said. “I didn't really have the opportunity to take advantage of the moment because we were drugged. At this point during this time off, I was a little angry. I haven't had a chance to really appreciate it. But I heard it.”