Celtics pummel Knicks in season opener; LeBron and Bronny James make NBA history together
Defending champions Boston rained down a record-tying 29 three-pointers against New York. LeBron and Bronny became the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Basketball
As the Boston Celtics put up a record 18th banner to the rafters, they brought down a record-tying number of 3s on the New York Knicks.
The defending NBA champions got the 2024-25 season off to a winning start as the Celtics hammered the Knicks 132-109 behind 29 3-pointers on Tuesday (22 October), when LeBron and Bronny James made history by becoming the first father and son to appear in a game together in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Boston had all the chances in the world to break the record on ring night at the TD Garden, Al Horford knocking down the 29th 3 with almost nine minutes left in the fourth quarter to tie the mark set by the 2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks.
But the Celtics - who will be looking to become the first repeat champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017-18 - then went cold as ice from downtown, missing 13 straight attempts and a piece of NBA history.
Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 37 points on 14-of-18 shooting for Boston, along with a game-high 10 assists. The Knicks’ off-season acquisitions, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, had 12 and 16 points each.
“I’m really proud of the way we played,” Tatum said. “Tonight was emotional. This is a celebration of what we accomplished last year.
“For a lot of us that was our first experience getting a ring and raising the banner so tonight was special, and to kind of have to reset and go try to win a basketball game against a really good team on opening night - the way that we just came out and responded and played the right way, I’m proud of it.”
LeBron on Bronny: "He's my lifeline"
The James duo checked in the game together with four minutes left in the second quarter.
LeBron was in the starting lineup and finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists. Bronny did not score and did not return to the game after his three minutes in the quarter.
LeBron was a proud dad, wearing a big grin on his face after the game.
“It's family. It's always been family over everything,” LeBron said. “You know for me, I lost a lot of time because of this league and commitment to this league, being on the road at times, missing a lot of his things, Bryce’s things, Zhuri’s things.
“So to be able to have this moment where I'm working still and I'm going to work alongside my son is one of the greatest gifts I've ever got from the man above and I'm going to take full advantage of it.”
The 20-year-old Bronny humbly said, “Going up to the scorers’ table with my dad and checking in for the first time, that’s a crazy moment I will never forget.
“I’m just extremely grateful for everything. I was given an amazing opportunity to come in this league and get better every day and learn every day. I'm just extremely grateful.”
Bronny, selected in the second round as the 55th overall pick of the NBA draft, had played in all six preseason games but shot less than 30 per cent, averaging 4.2 points.
The Lakers’ new head coach JJ Redick - who picked up his first career coaching win - had played the two together on 6 October against the Phoenix Suns.
LeBron - who on this night also joined Vince Carter as the only players to play in 22 NBA seasons - and Bronny next take on the Suns at home on Friday, when son will hope to score his first bucket in the league.
“It's not promised every day that you get an opportunity to play in this beautiful league,” LeBron said. “It's only 450 of us, and understand it's not given to you. You've got to earn every moment and I think he knows that.
“He’s looking forward to the progress, to the process of getting better and better every single day to be the player that he ultimately wants to be.
“But I'm super proud of him and he's my life line, that’s for sure.”