Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James and his 20-year-old son, Bronny James, officially began teaming up on the basketball court. They could also be headed to a courtroom.
On Oct. 22, LeBron and Bronny made history by becoming the first father-and-son duo to play in the NBA together. The 39-year-old basketball legend shared around two-and-a-half minutes of action with the rookie.
“Going up to the scorer’s table with my dad, checking in for the first time, that’s a crazy moment I’ll never forget,” Bronny stated in a post-game interview.
His dad added, “To be able to have this moment, where I’m working still, and I can work alongside my son, is one of the greatest gifts I ever got from the man above.”
While LeBron celebrated Bronny’s debut with the Los Angeles Lakers, April Almanza Lopez and Kiara Rae McGillen took legal action against the James family.
According to TMZ, the two women sued LeBron and his son for unspecified damages over a Nov. 13, 2022, car crash. Lopez and McGillen claim they sustained injuries from the alleged accident that took place in Littlerock, California.
The plaintiffs also contended their vehicle was devalued from the damage caused by the wreck. The lawsuit was reportedly filed in Los Angeles County just hours before Bronny checked into the Lakers game inside the Crypto.com Arena.
Neither of the father-son duo has publicly addressed the pending lawsuit, as of press time.
As news of Lopez and McGillen’s lawsuit spread across the internet, social media users offered their opinions on the legal situation.
A commenter on TMZ’s Instagram page wrote, “People needing other people’s lives for stability is crazy to me.” Another fan pondered, “Right after they made NBA history, this story suddenly appears.”
A third person commented, “Man, even if Bron or Bronny rear-ended someone they’re making it bigger than it is to try to maximize their payday past an insurance payout wtf.”
Someone else reacted by throwing shade at L.A.’s 2024 second-round draft pick by posting, “Such bad news after Bronny’s big night scoring zero points.”
Many still has questions wondering why the two women waited until Tuesday to file the lawsuit. One person said, “2 years later tho?” while another added, “Where the hell is the dash camera and why was this just now notified?? Something isn’t sounding right.”
Coming to both their defenses, a loyal supporter added, “Watch how they start lying! Leave the James Family alone.”
The Los Angeles Lakers pulled out a 110-103 victory over All-Star shooting guard Anthony “Ant-Man” Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first game of the 2024-2025 season.
LeBron finished with 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 34 minutes of game time. Bronny played for 2:41 and went 0-for-2 in field goal attempts.
Edwards had 27 points, 6 rebounds, and three assists in his team’s loss. Like LeBron and Bronny, the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft is dealing with an off-the-court legal battle.
Edwards petitioned a court in Georgia to determine his paternal rights of a baby born by social media influencer Ayesha “Little Ms. Golden” Howard. A status conference for the paternity case is set for Nov. 13.
Bronny James made headlines in 2024 for his dating life as well. The former University of Southern California Trojan is said to be in a relationship with Parker Whitfield.
The Spelman College sophomore is the daughter of actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield and actor Dondré T. Whitfield. Bronny and Parker reportedly met while attending California’s Sierra Canyon High School.
Salli Richardson-Whitfield has ties to the Los Angeles Lakers legacy. The Chicago native directed episodes of the “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” television series on HBO.
For their next NBA game, LeBron James, Bronny James, and the Lakers face the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 25 in Crypto.com Arena. The Suns are coming off a 116-113 overtime win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 23.
