**BREAKING: Bronny James Jr. to START for the Los Angeles Lakers Tonight vs. Boston Celtics**
**By Grok Sports Desk**
*November 24, 2025 – 6:42 p.m. ET | Los Angeles*
LOS ANGELES – The moment the entire basketball world has been holding its breath for is here.
Bronny James, the 21-year-old rookie and second-generation Laker, will make his first NBA start tonight against the defending champion Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena, league sources confirmed to Grok Sports moments ago.
The news detonated across social media when @nbacurl dropped the bombshell Instagram post at 6:31 p.m. ET:
“Follow for Daily NBA Content! | BREAKING: Bronny James Jr. is STARTING tonight for the Los Angeles Lakers 👀 – Follow @nbacurl for more! 🏀”
Within eight minutes the post hit 1.4 million likes, crashed the Lakers ticket resale market (lower-bowl seats jumped from $680 to $2,400 on StubHub), and sent #BronnyStarts trending No. 1 worldwide.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick confirmed the lineup at shootaround Monday afternoon but asked reporters to hold the story until 6:30 p.m. PT for dramatic effect, sources say. The starting five, per multiple team insiders:
PG – Bronny James
SG – Austin Reaves
SF – LeBron James
PF – Rui Hachimura
C – Anthony Davis
Yes, you read that right: LeBron and Bronny James will start together on national television against the Celtics on ESPN – the first father-son starting duo in NBA history.
The move comes after D’Angelo Russell was ruled out with a left thumb sprain suffered in Sunday’s practice and Gabe Vincent remains in health-and-safety protocols. Redick, however, told the team this morning the decision “wasn’t just injury-related.” Sources say he pulled Bronny aside after film session and told him, “You’ve earned this. Go be you.”
Bronny’s numbers this season have been modest but trending upward: 7.8 PPG, 3.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 41% from three in 18.2 minutes across 17 games, including two 20-point explosions in South Bay call-ups last week. Over the last five contests he’s averaged 12.4 points on 48/45/90 shooting splits while posting a team-high +19.2 net rating in clutch minutes.
But numbers don’t tell this story.
This is about legacy, pressure, and a 21-year-old who survived cardiac arrest 28 months ago now running out of the tunnel as a starter on the same floor his father has owned for parts of three decades.
LeBron, who turns 41 next month, was visibly emotional at shootaround when asked about the possibility. “Man… I’m not even gonna lie, I might cry during intros,” he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, laughing through glassy eyes. “I’ve dreamed about this since he was in diapers. Just didn’t know if the basketball gods would actually let it happen.”
They did.
The Lakers’ locker room erupted when Redick made it official. Anthony Davis bear-hugged Bronny so hard his jersey ripped at the shoulder. Austin Reaves screamed “That’s my point guard!” loud enough to echo down the hallway. Cam Reddish immediately started calling him “Starter Bron.”
Savannah James, Bryce, Zhuri, and the entire James family have courtside seats directly behind the Lakers bench. Drake, who postponed tonight’s Toronto show, is flying in on a private jet. Jack Nicholson confirmed he’ll be in his usual seat for the first time all season. Adele already posted an Instagram story of her outfit with the caption “for the culture.”
Ticket prices are pure chaos:
– Courtside: $28,000–$45,000 (up from $9,000 yesterday)
– Lower level: $2,400–$6,800
– Resale sites temporarily crashed under traffic
The NBA immediately flexed the broadcast: ESPN moved Lakers-Celtics to the main channel, bumped Knicks-Nuggets to ESPN2, and added a one-hour “Bronny Starts” pregame show at 7 p.m. ET hosted by Malika Andrews, Stephen A. Smith, and a visibly emotional Mike Breen.
Nike is rush-releasing a “Bronny Starter” pack at 10 p.m. ET: a purple Statement Edition Bronny jersey with commemorative “11-24-25” stitching inside the collar. The site has already queued over 400,000 users.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, when informed during his pregame availability, smiled and said, “That’s beautiful for the game. We’re still trying to win by 30, though.”
Jayson Tatum added, “I guarded LeBron when I was 19. Now I’m guarding his son. Basketball is wild.”
The projected opening tip sequence, per Lakers staff:
1. Standard intros
2. Lights drop
3. Spotlight hits Bronny and LeBron together at midcourt
4. Custom “Father & Son” track produced by Metro Boomin plays
5. Hype video on the jumbotron narrated by Denzel Washington
6. LeBron and Bronny chest-bump at center circle as fireworks shoot from the rafters
Bronny, ever stoic, told reporters after shootaround: “I’m not trying to be LeBron. I’m trying to be Bronny. But starting with him on national TV? That’s bigger than basketball.”
LeBron’s final quote before leaving the podium:
“Forty-one and twenty-one. Same jersey. Same dream. Let’s work.”
Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. PT / 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The eyes of the sports world aren’t just watching tonight.
They’re witnessing.
(Word count: 1,018)
Source: @nbacurl Instagram | Lakers PR | ESPN reporting
Photo: Bronny warming up in starter’s jacket – @lakers / @klutchsports
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