LeBron James said sharing the court with his son Bronny was one of the greatest things a father could wish for after the pair teamed up for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

On his 20th birthday, Bronny – the 55th overall pick in this year's NFL Draft – appeared alongside his father in the second quarter of the Lakers' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns.

They became the first father-son duo to ever play in any NBA game as the Lakers were beaten 118-114.

LeBron finished with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, five rebounds and four assists in 16 minutes in the Lakers' 118-114 loss, while Bronny missed his only shot attempt in 13 score-less minutes and had two boards with four turnovers.

"For a father, it means everything," LeBron James said after the game in Palm Desert, California.

"For someone who didn't have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have an influence on your son...

"Be able to have moments with your son, and ultimately, to be able to work with your son... I think that's one of the greatest things that a father can ever hope for or wish for."

LeBron almost delivered an assist for Bronny, who narrowly missed a 3-pointer off a dribble handoff from his father.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said: "I was really hoping that wing 3 on the little side had gone in. That would have been a cool moment, but they'll have a lot of moments together, I'm sure.

"I just wanted to get them a chance to play together in preseason, within the flow of the game," Redick said. "I'm thrilled that I get to be a part of this. I really am. 

"It's cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron's longevity, but also his competitive stamina that he's able to still be doing this in Year 22. 

"It speaks to the work that Bronny has put in to get to this point and really just the fatherly care and love, and certainly the motherly care from Savannah as well. Bronny's such a great kid and he's a pleasure to be around."

Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest while a freshman at USC last July, and he feels that experience helped him shut out the noise on his historic outing.

"It's just taking everything that has happened to me during this year, getting up and continuing to work every day," he said. 

"It's just about finding fuel every day to get up and start working. JJ has really emphasised the defensive end and being a pest on defense. So that's what I've been trying to focus on when stepping on the floor."