JJ Redick accepts the "small things" cost the Los Angeles Lakers as their unbeaten home run was ended by the Orlando Magic on Thursday.

Franz Wagner scored a 3-pointer inside the final two-and-a-half seconds to earn the Magic a 119-118 win at the Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers had been on course for an eighth home win in a row when taking a 118-114 lead with 27 seconds of the contest to go.

Anthony Davis missed two free throws after the Magic had cut the deficit to two points, which Wagner took advantage of in a dramatic finale.

Reflecting on the defeat for his side, which leaves the Lakers 10-5 for the season, Redick said: "I'd have to go back and re-watch every possession there in the last couple of minutes.

"I didn't love the thought process and the mindset when Wagner hit the three. Overall, I felt comfortable with our execution up until the missed free throws and the Wagner three."

On the game-winning moment from Wagner, Redick added: "We talk all the time about our isos. We don't want to allow threes in isos, especially late in the game. It could have been a little bit better. Small things."

The Magic improved to 10-7 to stay fourth in the Eastern Conference, with this a seventh win in eight games. 

"It was big-time," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of his side's most impressive win of the season thus far. "They missed the free throw, which makes it a two-point game. 

"[Wagner] comes down, doesn't have to rush it, lines it up. That's the thing, we work on those spacing situations, those shots. He works on those shots. He's not afraid of big moments, and that's what we've asked him to do."

Wagner scored 15 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and added 11 assists for the Magic, while Jalen Suggs added 23 points and Moritz Wagner had a season-high 19.

"I was a little mad I missed the first [three-point attempt], so I was glad I got another shot," Wagner said post-game.

"They were set up pretty well, so I didn't really see any driving lane. The one before felt really good. In those moments, you don't really think too much, but I guess I made a good call.

"Down two, you never just want to settle for a shot, but the way they were playing me... I do work on my off-the-dribble three a lot, and you work on it for those moments. I stepped into it with confidence and I felt really good."

LeBron James heaped praise on Dalton Knecht after he tied the NBA's single-game rookie record in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.

He scored nine 3-pointers, including going 6-for-6 in the third quarter, while scoring a career-high 37 points in the Lakers' 124-118 win, their sixth on the bounce.

Knecht now shares the record with Rodrigue Beaubois (2010), Yogi Ferrell (2017) and Utah's Keyonte George (2024).

The Lakers' six-game winning streak is their longest since February 2021, while they have also extended their perfect home record this season to 7-0.

James, who had 26 points and 12 assists, had previously said that he was a fan of Knecht, having watched him at Tennessee while he was in college.

"Same s*** I saw last year," said James, when asked about being ahead of the curve in praising Knecht.

"Everybody on the internet called me a liar. So, what am I now?

"I watched him. I watched Tennessee a lot. I did not think he would fall to us. I thought it would be impossible."

Knecht was the 17th overall in the 2024 NBA draft, and James brushed off the suggestion that the Lakers 'found' him.

"They [The Lakers] didn't 'find' DK," he added. "The other 16 teams f***** it up. Did anybody watch him? You don't 'find' an SEC player of the year."

LeBron James made it four straight games with a triple-double, the best run of his illustrious career, as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-115.

Having won the inaugural NBA in-season tournament last year, the Lakers began their defence of the crown with a group-stage win over Victor Wembanyama and company.

James scored the Lakers' last four points to make sure of the victory, finishing with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists for the 117th triple-double of his NBA career – the fifth-most of all time.

As well as going four consecutive games with a triple-double for the very first time, the league's all-time leading scorer also matched the Lakers' franchise record for consecutive triple-doubles.

Russell Westbrook recorded four in a row for Los Angeles from December 25 to December 31, 2021, while Magic Johnson did so on two occasions (March 28 to November 3, 1981 and March 31 to April 5, 1987).

"The best thing about my game is I can have no rhythm offensively and still have an impact on the game," James said after the win. "I was able to do that tonight."

Asked what made him most proud of his achievement, James added: "Probably that I did it in Season 22.

"To still have the energy to do that and the effort, it takes a lot. But also, it takes great team-mates along the way, too. 

"Those assists only happen when guys are making shots, and I just try to put the ball on time, on target and then defensively, rebound and try to help on the glass with Anthony [Davis] and the rest of the guys. 

"And I try to sprinkle in a little points from time to time... but waiting 22 years to do something is wild, so, that's a good question right there."

Davis led the Lakers with 40 points and 12 rebounds, while Wembanyama had a team-high 28 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for San Antonio.

LeBron James accepts he may only have a maximum of two more years left in him before calling time on his glittering NBA career.

The 39-year-old, playing in his 22nd NBA campaign, helped the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

James finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds, 14 assists and one steal as the Lakers improved to 7-4 across their first 11 games, making it three wins on the bounce since their defeat to the Grizzlies last week. 

With his latest dazzling display, he became the oldest player to record three straight triple-doubles at 39 years and 319 years old.

That surpassed his own record of 34 years and 310 days, but James knows he will not be able to continue at an elite level forever.

"I'm not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest," he told reporters. 

"I don't know how many years that is, whether it's one year or two years." 

"I'm not playing until the wheels fall off. I'm not going to be the guy that's disrespecting the game because I just want to be out on the floor." 

Proving that age is just a number, James is averaging 24.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game this season.

Further probed on what will determine when he calls time on his playing career, the 20-time NBA All-Star said: "It's not me.

"It's wherever my mind is, it's however my body's going to go. Whatever the case may be." 

The Lakers are sixth in the Western Conference and return to action in the NBA Cup against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick stormed out of a press conference on Wednesday night, frustrated with reporters' line of questioning.

The Lakers were beaten 131-114 by the Memphis Grizzlies, bringing their record to 4-4, and Redick had been asked about his team's lack of energy on the night.

Having previously called for his team to match the commitment shown by LeBron James, he grew frustrated with being pressed by reporters on the subject.

Clearly frustrated about the Lakers' early-season form, when asked about his approach to getting the team to play like James, Redick replied: "I just did." He then put the microphone down, got up and left the press conference.

"He played hard," Redick had said earlier in the press conference, when talking about James.

"Almost 40 years old, played the hardest on our team. Says a lot about him." When asked if he was pleased with the effort from the rest of the team, he said: "No one is."

This comes at a time when the Lakers have assigned rookie Bronny James, LeBron's son, to their G League affiliate South Bay.

But James will be on the Lakers' roster for Friday's games against the Philadelphia 76ers, with the plan for him to only play G League home games as he goes between the Lakers and South Boy.

Redick confirmed last month that the "plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay has always been the plan since day one."

Anthony Davis is unsure as to the extent of a foot injury he aggravated against the Detroit Pistons, but he knows the Los Angeles Lakers must find some consistency.

Davis scored 37 points on Monday but his efforts were not enough to prevent Los Angeles slipping to a 115-103 loss.

The Lakers are now 4-3 overall after winning their opening three games of the season.

To compound their frustration, Davis – who is averaging 32.6 points per game – aggravated a left foot issue in the final quarter.

"We're just two different teams right now," lamented Davis.

"One game, we're this team who showcased it can be one of the better teams in the league. Then the next, we're this team who -- I don't even know who we are. So, we just got to be better.

"We got to put a full 48 [minutes] together, and we can't continue to do this if we expect to do anything this season."

On his injury, Davis added: "I'll talk to my trainer and just kind of figure out what exactly is going on.

"I've been managing it since this summer, honestly, and my goal for every game is to be on the floor. And I just kind of landed directly on the spot that's been killing me. So, we'll figure it out."

LeBron James finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and was honest in his assessment of a potential lay-off for Davis.

"I don't play the 'if' game," James said.

"We'll go off what AD says and see how he feels over the next couple of days and go from there. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know [the impact] if AD's in or out. C'mon."

Reflecting on the latest defeat, Lakers coach JJ Redick simply said: "We're all disappointed."

Bronny James revelled in the "insane" reception he received from the Cleveland Cavaliers supporters in Wednesday's loss for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bronny, son of LeBron, came on from the bench in the fourth quarter with the game all but decided in the Cavs favour.

The Lakers ultimately lost 134-110, though Bronny ensured it was a memorable defeat as he got his first NBA bucket.

LeBron is arguably the greatest player in Cavs history, and the home fans were chanting for Bronny to get a look-in from the bench from early in the second half.

"It was insane," Bronny said.

"Much more than I anticipated for sure. But it's all love. It was insane. It was a nice moment.

"The chants really got me. I was straight-faced, but I felt it and it felt really good, especially coming from here. It was a special moment for me for sure."

Of sinking his first points in the NBA, Bronny said: "I've been watching [my dad] for a minute playing in the league. Just dreaming of being in those players' steps, not only [LeBron's] but players he used to play against and with.

"So yeah, it was just a dream come true for me."

LeBron lauded his son's mental strength, suggesting he would not have been able to deal with such pressure when he was only 20.

"He's better than I would have been in that situation, 20,000 fans screaming my name to get in the game and wanting me to be in the game," said LeBron.

"If the role's reversed, I don't know if I would have been able to handle it. To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far away from here, it's an unbelievable moment.

"An unbelievable moment for him, first of all. For our family. It's just pretty cool to be a part of it."

LeBron dragged the Cavs to their first NBA Championship in 2016, and has fond memories of his two spells in Cleveland.

"We spent a lot of years here," LeBron said.

"We're part of this community, obviously. We were born not too far from here, 35 miles south of here, [our] hometown of Akron. And I spent 11 years of my NBA career – half of my career – here."

Evan Mobley scored 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 24 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 5-0 with a 134-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night in a game that included a special homecoming for LeBron James and his son, Bronny.

The win marks the first time the Cavs have started 5-0 since the 2016-17 season, led by LeBron, and the third time in franchise history.

In the final minutes, Bronny played for the second time as a pro and was inserted with 5:16 left. The younger James, who grew up in the arena, made a 14-foot jumper with 2:03 to play for his first NBA points.

Jarrett Allen added 20 points and 17 rebounds for Cleveland.

LeBron scored 26 and Anthony Davis had 22 and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who were unable to cut into Cleveland's lead after falling behind by 23 in the first half.

Mitchell made back-to-back 3-pointers as the Cavaliers made four treys in a span of 1:45 in the first quarter to open a 19-point lead after one.

Towns’ big night powers Knicks           

Karl-Anthony Towns had 44 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Brunson scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Miami Heat 116-107.

Towns had the fourth-most points for the Knicks against the Heat. Jamal Crawford scored 52 in 2007, Carmelo Anthony had 50 at Miami in 2013 and RJ Barrett 46 in 2022.

Towns shot 17 of 24 from the field, 4 of 5 from long range and 24 of his 44 points in the first half to keep New York close.

Mikal Bridges added 17 points for New York, which trailed by 13 in the third quarter before flipping the game. OG Anunoby had 11 points and Josh Hart finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

Tyler Herro had 34 points for Miami, hitting eight 3-pointers. Terry Rozier scored 16 points, Jimmy Butler had 15, Bam Adebayo 11 and Nikola Jovic 10.

The Knicks ended the third quarter on a 30-10 run, turning a 70-57 deficit into an 87-80 lead.

Thunder down Spurs to remain perfect

Lu Dort scored 20 points, Chet Holmgren added 19 and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-93to remain the only unbeaten team in the Western Conference.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points, and Jalen Williams had 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City has won all four of its games by at least 12 points.

Harrison Barnes scored 18 points, Jeremy Sochan had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Chris Paul added 14 points and nine assists for the Spurs.

San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama was held to six points on 1-for-5 shooting in his matchup with Holmgren, a fellow second-year big man. Wembanyama also had eight rebounds and three blocks.

Oklahoma City showed it can win even when Gilgeous-Alexander's shot is off. Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the league's top scorers with 28.7 points per game through his first three contests, made just 7 of 20 shots, including 2 of 10 from 3.

The Spurs cut Oklahoma City's lead to 82-75 in the fourth quarter before the Thunder went on a 9-2 run with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench to regain control of the game. Rookie Ajay Mitchell scored five points during that stretch. The Thunder led 93-81 when Gilgeous-Alexander returned, and Oklahoma City was up 103-87 when he went to the bench for good with 2:46 remaining.

LeBron James shrugged off the suggestion that the Los Angeles Lakers are a team built for him after his superb fourth-quarter showing against the Sacramento Kings.

James scored 16 points and laid on an assist in an awesome run at the start of the fourth quarter, as the Lakers sank 21 unanswered points en route to a 131-127 victory on Saturday.

The Lakers have won their opening three games of the season, with James finishing with a game-high 32 points.

But the 39-year-old, who is playing in his 22nd NBA campaign, stressed it was a team effort that got the Lakers over the line.

"Listen, I could do that at 22, but at almost 40, I don't need to be doing it for four quarters," said James, who also added 14 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double.

"I have the luxury of having an MVP-calibre player next to me in Anthony Davis.

"[Austin Reaves] can get it going in bunches. [D'Angelo Russell] can catch fire. Rui [Hachimura] has been consistent, and he can get going and score in bunches, as well.

"This team is not built for me to have 16-point quarters through all four quarters. That's not how it's constructed and nor should it be. We're a team, and we all play together."

Lakers coach JJ Redick was blown away by what he saw from James.

"What can you say? We've all been very fortunate to watch his greatness for so long, and the fact that he's able to keep doing it – it's actually insane," Redick said.

For James' brilliant display, it was Davis grabbed the crucial points in the closing stages, sinking a three-pointer before nailing a free-throw in the final minute.

"We encourage him, coaches encourage him, we as his teammates encourage him to shoot that 3 ball," James said of Davis.

"Probably the biggest shot of the night is him making that 3, so it made it easy on me."

Davis has now put up three straight 30-point games to start the season, tying with Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Kobe Bryant in a franchise record.

The Los Angeles Lakers must continue to make Anthony Davis "the main focal point" of the team after he starred in their win over the Phoenix Suns. 

Those were the words of LeBron James after the Lakers recorded their first 2-0 start to an NBA season with a 123-116 triumph over the Suns on Friday.

Davis finished with 36 points, becoming the third player after Elgin Baylor and Jerry West to notch at least 35 points in consecutive games for the Lakers.

It has been an impressive start for Davis, who, at age 31, and in his sixth season with the Lakers, is looking to take the torch from James as the team's leading man. 

James, who finished the game with 21 points and eight assists, expressed Davis' importance this season, particularly how he can be kept involved effectively for the duration of the game. 

"It's very important that he's the main focal point for us every single night," James said.

"We know what he's going to do defensively, but offensively, we have to find him in multiple places on the floor throughout the whole game.

"And we've done that through two games."

It also marked a memorable game for Los Angeles coach JJ Redick, who became the first Lakers boss to win his first two games since Phil Jackson in 1999.

The Lakers hired Redick in the offseason with the expectation that he would bring knowledge of the game of basketball along with an ability to connect with players.

There were immediate sceptics of the hire, as Redick had never coached professionally, but Davis was quick to praise his coach and the game plan that led to the win.

“The game plan, the schemes that he had on both ends of the floor," Davis said.

"He trusts us, and we trust him as far as what he teaches us and what he wants us to do on the floor, on both ends, and it’s our job to go execute it.

“I think we were very prepared tonight. Like I said, we executed the game plan to a T.

"I’m not going to tell you the game plan because I know Minnesota will probably be watching this and figure out how to try to beat us next time.

"But our game plan was elite, and we executed it and were able to get the win.”

The Los Angeles Lakers must continue to make Anthony Davis "the main focal point" of the team after he starred in their win over the Phoenix Suns. 

Those were the words of LeBron James after the Lakers recorded their first 2-0 start to an NBA season with a 123-116 triumph over the Suns on Friday.

Davis finished with 36 points, becoming the third player after Elgin Baylor and Jerry West to notch at least 35 points in consecutive games for the Lakers.

It has been an impressive start for Davis, who, at age 31, and in his sixth season with the Lakers, is looking to take the torch from James as the team's leading man. 

James, who finished the game with 21 points and eight assists, expressed Davis' importance this season, particularly how he can be kept involved effectively for the duration of the game. 

"It's very important that he's the main focal point for us every single night," James said.

"We know what he's going to do defensively, but offensively, we have to find him in multiple places on the floor throughout the whole game.

"And we've done that through two games."

It also marked a memorable game for Los Angeles coach JJ Redick, who became the first Lakers boss to win his first two games since Phil Jackson in 1999.

The Lakers hired Redick in the offseason with the expectation that he would bring knowledge of the game of basketball along with an ability to connect with players.

There were immediate sceptics of the hire, as Redick had never coached professionally, but Davis was quick to praise his coach and the game plan that led to the win.

“The game plan, the schemes that he had on both ends of the floor," Davis said.

"He trusts us, and we trust him as far as what he teaches us and what he wants us to do on the floor, on both ends, and it’s our job to go execute it.

“I think we were very prepared tonight. Like I said, we executed the game plan to a T.

"I’m not going to tell you the game plan because I know Minnesota will probably be watching this and figure out how to try to beat us next time.

"But our game plan was elite, and we executed it and were able to get the win.”

Anthony Davis scored 35 points, Austin Reaves added 26 and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the Phoenix Suns 123-116 on Friday night for their first 2-0 start since 2010-11.

LeBron James had 17 of his 21 points in the second half for the Lakers, who trailed by 22 points in the second quarter.

Davis is the 3rd Lakers player with consecutive 35-point games to start a season in franchise history, joining Elgin Baylor in 1962 and Jerry West in 1969.

Kevin Durant led Phoenix (1-1) with 30 points and Devin Booker had 23.

The Lakers were down 61-52 at halftime, then outscored Phoenix 35-24 in the third quarter to take the lead as Davis and James each scored 11 in the period.

Phoenix made 21 of its first 30 shots, including nine straight 3-pointers, before going 21 of 52 the rest of the game. Phoenix was 24 of 39 from the field in the first half, but 9 of 27 in the third quarter.

The Lakers trailed 81-74 with three minutes left in the third before scoring nine straight points to grab the lead. That was part of a 20-6 run during a nearly five-minute span from late in the third to early in the fourth.

Young lifts Hawks over Ball, Hornets

Trae Young scored 38 points and the Atlanta Hawks overcame LaMelo Ball's 34 points and career-best nine 3-pointers to beat the Charlotte Hornets 125-120.

Ball made 9 of 14 3-pointers, surpassing his previous career high of eight.

De'Andre Hunter added 24 points and Dyson Daniels scored 18 for Atlanta, which has won its first two games.

Ball scored 34 points in the Hornets' 110-105 win at Houston on Wednesday to open the regular season. He matched that total with his ninth 3 with 7:31 remaining.

The Hornets were without two starters, including guard Brandon Miller. The team said Miller will be out at least a week because of a strained left glute. Center Mark Williams was held out with a strained tendon in his left foot.

Despite missing two starters, Charlotte showed depth with four players in double figures. Miles Bridges scored 27 points, Tre Mann had 17 and Nick Richards tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds.

With the game tied at 90, Young's 3 gave the lead back to Atlanta. Following a tying 3 by Charlotte's Josh Green, Young answered with a short jumper.

Bulls sink 21 3-pointers to beat Bucks

Coby White scored 35 points, and the hot-shooting Chicago Bulls spoiled Milwaukee’s home opener with a 133-122 victory over the Bucks.

Zach LaVine added 25 points, Nikola Vucevic had 22 and Josh Giddey scored 17 for the Bulls, who shot 21 of 47 from 3-point range.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 38 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Damian Lillard had 28 points, but only went 3 of 12 from deep.

After the first three minutes of the third quarter featured five lead changes, the Bulls broke a 72-all tie and pulled ahead for good by scoring seven straight points.

After Milwaukee's A.J. Green made a pair of 3s in the first minute of the fourth quarter to cut Chicago's lead to 102-101, Patrick Williams answered with a 3 of his own. Williams' basket ignited a 13-1 run, and the Bucks never seriously threatened again.

LeBron James said that it was "always family over everything" after making NBA history alongside son Bronny during the Los Angeles Lakers' season opener. 

LeBron and Bronny checked into the game together with four minutes left in the second quarter, becoming the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA game.

The pair spent over two and a half minutes on the court together and in those minutes, Bronny was credited with one offensive rebound on a put-back attempt and finished 0-for-2 from the field.

Bronny also missed an open three-pointer, but left the court to a standing ovation. However, he did not feature again in the Lakers' 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

LeBron, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, notched 16 points along with five rebounds and four assists, but was left emotional when asked to describe the historic moment. 

"It's always been family over everything," LeBron said.

"For me, I lost a lot of time because of this league, committing to this league, being on the road on times, missing a lot of [Bronny's] things, Bryce's things, Zhuri's things.

"So, to be able to have this moment where I'm working still, and I can work alongside my son – it's one of the greatest gifts I've ever got from the man above.

"I'm going to take full advantage of it."

The Lakers have declined to speculate on how long Bronny will stay on their NBA roster, but Bronny expressed his gratitude at being able to share the court with his father.

"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," Bronny said. 

"Going up to the scorer's table with my dad and checking in for the first time, that's a crazy moment I will never forget."

LeBron James is uncertain if he will get the chance to play on the same team as fellow great Stephen Curry before one of the duo retires.

Curry and James teamed up for the first time to help Team USA win gold at the Paris Olympics this summer.

But with 39-year-old James and 36-year-old Curry in the twilight of their careers, the chances of them teaming up at another Olympics are slim.

Indeed, with James committed to the Los Angeles Lakers and Curry to the Golden State Warriors, the best fans can likely hope for is a joint All-Star appearance. 

"I have no idea," James said ahead of the Lakers facing the Warriors in preseason.

James and Curry formed a thrilling NBA Finals rivalry between 2015 and 2018, facing off against each other 22 times.

"It was everything and more," James said of teaming up with Curry at the Olympics.

"I was super excited to be able to finally team up with him in a win-or-die type atmosphere. That's what it was, being a part of the Olympics.

"It was everything that I dreamed of and aspired to want to be a part of that team, along with Steph. Great memories. Something that I'll remember from my basketball career for the rest of my life, for sure.

"I understand what Steph has done for this game. I understand what he's done for his organisation, what he's done for the community, people all over the world.

"Just by his approach to the game and how he is as a man. How he is as a family man. How he is as a husband, a dad, a son, all that stuff.

"So when you have that type of respect for somebody and then you get to be around them every day and you see the way they work and how they treat their craft, it's a pretty cool thing. You're able to just respect that and not take it for granted."

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."