LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James gave his 20-year-old son a pep talk before they rose from the Lakers bench. Amid rising cheers, they walked together to the scorer’s table — and then they stepped straight into basketball history. LeBron and Bronny became the first father and son to play in the NBA together Tuesday night during the Los Angeles Lakers ' season opener, fulfilling a dream set out a few years ago by LeBron, the top scorer in league history. “That moment, us being at the scorer’s table together and checking in together, it’s a moment I’m never going to forget,” LeBron said. “No matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade as I get older or whatever, I will never forget that moment.” Father and son checked into the game against Minnesota simultaneously with four minutes left in the second quarter, prompting a big ovation from a home crowd aware of the enormity of the milestone. The 39-year-old LeBron had already started the game and played 13 minutes before he teamed up with his 20-year-old son for about 2 1/2 minutes of action.
TOKYO (AP) — Jake Flint and his girlfriend Jessica Griffiths are on vacation in Japan from England. They were milling around a Tokyo sporting goods store this week that boasts the largest array of MLB gear in Japan, much of which carries the Los Angeles Dodgers brand. The name and image of superstar Shohei Ohtani are everywhere in the store — on caps, t-shirts, jerseys, stuffed animals — as all of Japan prepares to watch the World Series. Television ratings in Japan have set records as the Dodgers and Ohtani prepare to face the New York Yankees. The first game is Friday evening in the United States, which will be Saturday morning in Japan. Ohtani has stoked national pride, even among Japanese who don’t care about baseball. Youth players in Japan adore him and newscasts often lead with him, even though the country is voting on Sunday in critical parliamentary elections.
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston crowd chanted “One more 3!” The Celtics did their best, firing up 13 shots from 3-point range in an attempt to break the NBA record for 3s in a game — and missing them all. In the end, all the defending champions could do in their 132-109 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night was tie the record of 29 3s made by Milwaukee in 2020. “It was almost like we got jinxed or something,” said Jaylen Brown, who scored 23 points and was 5 of 9 from 3-point range but tossed up an airball with a chance to break the record. “When we were just playing, having fun, playing our style of basketball, everything was going in,” Brown said. “The crowd got into it, and we started hunting them, we couldn’t even hit the bright side of the barn.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman is penciling himself into the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup for their World Series opener against the New York Yankees. “I don’t think there’s any question in anybody’s mind that I will be in the lineup for Game 1,” he said Tuesday during a Zoom news conference. Of course, the final lineup decision rests with manager Dave Roberts after discussions with the front office. By Game 1 on Friday, Freeman will have had a week since running on his sprained right ankle in NL Championship Series Game 5 against the New York Mets. The All-Star first baseman missed Games 4 and 6 of the NLCS. Freeman was 3 for 18 against the Mets after hitting .286 in the NL Division Series against San Diego. “I’m obviously compromised with my ankle, so if I’m not in the lineup on that day that means the best option is with our guys,” Freeman said. “I haven’t played three games and I think they’re averaging about nine runs a game without me in there. I have great confidence in everybody.”
TUESDAY SCORES
National Basketball Association
Boston 132, NY Knicks 109
LA Lakers 110, Minnesota 103