The Los Angeles Lakers went up 3-0 in the first-round series against the Houston Rockets with a 112-108 overtime win at Toyota Center on Friday. While LeBron James and Marcus Smart deservedly dominated the headlines, Bronny James managed to have the first memorable playoff moments of his career on the night, too.
Bronny first hit a deep three in the second quarter and then followed that up by being on the receiving end of the first-ever father-son alley-oop in NBA playoff history. The 21-year-old ended the night with five points, outscoring the Rockets’ entire bench, which could only muster three. It was a solid showing by Bronny, and LeBron expressed just how much he loves playing with his son in his postgame press conference.
“In a postseason game, I’m always super locked in,” LeBron said, via the NBA. “And over the last three games, there’s been many moments where I kind of locked out, if that makes sense. And all those moments has been with Bronny, and it’s like it just keep getting better and better. It’s like ‘Wow.’
“And for him to come in, you see the five points, but his attention to detail, his defensive mindset, his prowess on the ball, guarding, defending,” LeBron continued. “And then when they decided to go far removed underneath his pick and roll that I was setting, for him to be confident in his work that he’s put in to step up and make that shot and then run the floor and be able to catch that lob… The amount of confidence that a young kid in our league can get from a postseason game… You’ll never get nervous from a regular-season moment ever again when you play meaningful postseason games and postseason minutes.
“He’s done that, and I think that’s just pretty cool for his career, for his confidence,” LeBron added. “I mean s***, I’ve done enough.”
Bronny is getting his first real taste of playoff basketball in this series against the Rockets. He had played about seven minutes combined in Games 1 and 2 and got a bit of an extended run here. Bronny was on the court for nine minutes and had a plus-minus of +4.
BRONNY FOR THREE!!!
Very next play after LeBron The Father’s crazy shot https://t.co/NqHCFRDRzR pic.twitter.com/AOw5iByb2A
— Zero Gravity (@zgsportsmedia) April 25, 2026
Bronny, who scored his first career playoff points here, has definitely improved a lot since the Lakers selected him with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He still isn’t ready for a big role, but there are reasons to be optimistic about his future.
As for LeBron, he might be able to carry on for a fair bit longer if he chooses to. The 41-year-old had 29 points (10-22 FG), 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block to power the Lakers to victory.
LeBron has put on a clinic so far in this series to help the Lakers go up 3-0 despite Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves being out. He is showing once again that doubting him is a big mistake.
While LeBron has always relished playoff basketball, getting to play with Bronny is making this postseason all the more special for him. He’ll now be looking to send the Rockets packing in Game 4, which tips off at Toyota Center on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
