Legendary MLB player Ken Griffey Jr. knows what it’s like to play alongside his father. In 1990, he made history by sharing the field with his father, Ken Griffey Sr., on the Seattle Mariners. Now, Bronny James is following in his footsteps by playing alongside LeBron James on the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers.
Bronny faces the challenge of following in the footsteps of one of the greatest basketball players of all time. However, Griffey Jr. advised him to learn from his father and focus on his own development.
“I did tell Bronny to just relax, enjoy it, be you. You are not gonna be him. Nobody is him. When I got there, my dad told me, ‘This is your team, I am just here.’ He was Dad at home and a teammate at the ballpark. But, like I said, there were times I rode home with Mom. It was much safer.”
Griffey Jr. offered Bronny simple advice: “You’re gonna learn a lot by being able to sit there and be on the bench watching him. People say he needs to be in the G-League, that he needs this and that. I’ll tell you what, I learned more sitting there watching my dad than anything.”
Ken Griffey Sr., Ken Griffey Jr., Bronny James and LeBron James pose for a photo prior to a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on October 22, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
A legacy hard to match for Bronny
Bronny James has expressed a desire to forge his own path and become a standout player in his own right. With the support of his father and the advice of legends like Griffey Jr., he has the opportunity to achieve his goals and make his own mark in the NBA.
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LeBron James' son Bronny shares his thoughts after scoring first NBA points with the Lakers
Bronny’s first points in the NBA
Bronny recently scored his first points in the NBA and reflected on the special moment. “I’ve been watching this guy for a minute, playing in the league,” Bronny said, pointing to LeBron. “So just dreaming of me being in those players’ steps—not only his, but players he’s played against and with. So it was just a dream come true for me.”
