Every time the Lakers visit Cleveland, LeBron James’ hometown welcomes him with open arms. Obviously, the memory of him yelling “Cleveland! This is for you,” after leading them to a championship, 8 years ago, remains strong in every fan’s mind. However, tonight’s return was a bit more special. That’s because LBJ had Bronny sitting alongside him as the Cavs paid a wholesome tribute to the father-son duo. Surprisingly, The Kid from Akron could not fully soak in the moment because he was fuming at his team’s situation.

During one of the timeouts early in the first quarter, the home team played a tribute video on the big screen, starring LeBron James and Bronny, as the crowd erupted to cheer them on. Revealing his emotions after the game, the 22-season veteran said, “It was a pretty cool moment.” However, LBJ made a shocking confession, “I didn’t really get an opportunity to kind of seize the moment coz we were getting our a– drugged at that moment. So, I was a little angry.”

Yes, the Lakers were getting dominated by the Cavs at the time and were trailing by 5 points. So, LeBron James was more focused on turning the game around, instead of the crowd’s applause. Upon hearing his confession, the entire room laughed hysterically while Bronny, who was sitting right next to him, had a shocked look on his face. But even though the moment was a special one for the James family, it was a forgetful night for the Purple and Gold franchise.

Unfortunately, the situation only got worse after that timeout as the Lakers got dominated all game and were blown out by 24 points. But Bronny will probably remember this night for a long time.

LeBron James acknowledged ‘cool’ tribute, as Bronny gets standing ovation in hometown debut

Although LeBron James admitted to being angry during the tribute video, his son’s first homecoming moment definitely caught his attention. “I heard it. And then when they said his name too, that’s when I kind of looked up and I believe I tapped him on the leg.” Papa James remarked in the post-game presser, as they looked back on the moment when young Bronny’s name was announced in the arena. Well, the Lakers getting blown out had one silver lining, as it gave Bronny a chance to make his debut in his hometown!

Yes, with no shot at making a comeback, JJ Redick checked the rookie into the game in the final quarter and he received a standing ovation from the entire arena. Bronny made the moment even more special by hitting a jump shot minutes later. Well, that surely brought a lot of excitement into the game that otherwise was a one-sided affair. And it gave Bronny a memory to cherish for a lifetime.

Speaking about the same, the 20-year-old said, “Yeah. I mean, it was insane! Much more than I anticipated, for sure. But all love… it was a nice moment. The chants really got me. Like I was straight-faced, but like, I felt it. It felt pretty good,” Bronny said, trying to explain his emotions, as his legendary father had a smirk on his face too.