The early bird gets the worm. And it seems the Lakers are intent on doing just that. After all, it’s going to be a historic season for the storied dynasty – they have the first father-son duo playing on the same court. As such, LeBron James and Bronny were part of voluntary offseason workouts, including scrimmaging. And if you thought that at the end of the day, Bron was going to allow some leeway for his son, think again.

Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick were first-hand witnesses to what went down, and boy, were they shocked and impressed. In the preseason press conference, the Lakers GM gave us a glimpse of what to expect from the pair going forward. “Bronny got switched on to LeBron and he took him baseline and up and under off the glass and the words exchanged afterward were probably more challenging than anything else,” Pelinka recalled.

As though he was validating what Rob Pelinka said, King James posted the quote shared by Sportscenter on his Instagram story. The father of three took this moment to reconcile with Bronny, too, it would seem. Above the post, the 4x champion wrote, “Great Defense. Better O [Offense],” followed by a smiling emoji.

Clearly, LeBron James intends to follow through with what he discussed earlier about his workplace dynamics with his son. The ‘Akron Hammer’ made it absolutely clear that there would be no calling ‘Dad’ in the practice facility or on the court. “Once we leave out of the practice facility and the gates close, I can be ‘Dad’ again,” the nearly 40-year-old emphasized during a special episode of The Shop shot in Paris.

However, Bron wasn’t oblivious to the difficulties of his soon-to-be 20-year-old son. “It’s easy for me. It’s going to be an adjustment for him,” the 20x All-Star added. As for when the historic duo will take the court together, JJ Redick is the man.

Coach Redick buzzes over LeBron James-Bronny duo as Pelinka teases season outlook!

JJ seems to be just as excited as the rest of the world for the father and son to take the floor. Although the team has yet to set a date for their debut, Redick and his coaching staff couldn’t help but get started on how it might look like. “We obviously have talked about it as a staff, and we’ve gotten into some specifics of what that might look like, but we haven’t committed to anything,” the Duke alum explained.

That is for another day when the entire squad will be present. And of course, LeBron James and Bronny James’ presence is also necessary. Although Rich Paul made it clear that he wasn’t going to entertain any offers that saw the ex-USC product spending too long time in the G League (the main reason for not looking at a two-way deal), it’s a possibility that looks more real as we get closer to the season. As JJ pointed out, they hired Zach Guthrie for the South Bay Lakers to have “synergy and integration” between the two.

As for other details, perhaps an important storyline to watch out for is the chance for a trade. We are painfully aware of the Purple & Gold’s struggle to land a superstar in the offseason. Despite the lure of playing alongside the NBA’s all-time scorer, despite the chance to play in a storied franchise, none of the free agents they targeted (read: LeBron reportedly preferred) were tempted.

As such, Rob Pelinka noted that their ultimate goal is “sustainable Lakers excellence.” And if using their tradeable first-round picks ensured this state, then that was the way they would go. Furthermore, he added, “We would also use one pick to make a marginal upgrade if we felt like it was the right thing to do.”

The Los Angeles Lakers seem to have their priorities straight this season. And hopefully, that’s enough to keep them in the championship race. Until then, we are going to keep a close eye on the date for the father-son debut. It’s going to be legendary!

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.