The Lakers’ LeBron James and Bronny James play together for the first time in the NBA preseason game

LeBron James raced down the alley and hit a left-handed hammer home. He jumped through the air to block a shot. On the first night of the 22nd, not much had changed – albeit in pre-season – and James did the things he had done on the pitch for a generation.

But on Sunday night, at the start of the second quarter, he revealed his latest — and perhaps greatest — trick.

LeBron James and his eldest son Bronny shared the court together for a four-minute, nine-second shift as professionals for the first time. It was the first time in NBA history that father and son played together.

“Not real,” LeBron James said of the feeling. “Still trying to get used to it a little bit, but pretty cool. It’s pretty cool for both of us and especially for our family. It’s pretty cool. “

In a five-minute postgame interview, James said “pretty cool” six times.

Although the duo’s debut won’t become official NBA history until they play together during the regular season, Sunday was the first glimpse of the biggest testament to James’ longevity as not just a pro but one of the league’s best.

Fittingly, Sunday was Bronny James’ 20th birthday.

Lakers coach JJ Redick told the players he wanted them to play together early Sunday.

“That got me pretty excited,” Bronny James said. “But I just got out and it honestly felt like a normal game with my teammate.”

For the most part, Lakers second-round pick Bronny James has tried not to get caught up in the excitement surrounding his presence and the opportunity to share moments with his father on the court.

“I always think, ‘That’s my dad,’ because that’s literally my dad,” he said with a laugh. “So I just go out there and when I play, he’s just my teammate. That’s all I’m thinking at this point.”

For the people in and around the organization, it’s about more than that.

“It’s surreal – doing two-on-two pick-and-rolls together in practice. “It’ll be fun when they’re on the court together,” Redick said before the game. “I’m excited about it. It’s a great honor to be part of history.”

The Lakers lost their second preseason game 118-114, hardly the biggest story of the night.

Viewed as a potential distraction by some NBA insiders, the early results of the duo playing together have been almost entirely positive. On Saturday, D’Angelo Russell said he enjoyed watching the off-court moments between the first father-son duo in NBA history.

“You kind of see the words of wisdom that Bron drops whenever he gets the chance. He pulls his little one aside and drops jewels whenever he gets the chance,” Russell said. “I mean, it’s a secret. This is a scam put to the test, right? You have someone who has all the answers.”

That all seems secondary to Bronny James as he looks to make a name for himself as a contributor to this training camp without becoming a part of one of the NBA’s biggest stories.

“To be honest, I can’t tell you (how to stay stable). I don’t know. That’s a lot,” said Bronny James. “There’s a lot going on. I just try to focus on what my job is and what I’m supposed to do. I feel like that’s what keeps me grounded.”

On Sunday, the two didn’t deliver the climax that could have fully captured the feat. The closest they came was when James threw the ball to Bronny, but the Lakers’ rookie guard missed the three-pointer.

“I was really hoping wing three would have come in on the small side (dribble hand away),” Redick said. “That would have been a cool moment, but I’m sure they’ll have many more moments together.”

LeBron James showed no signs of rush in his first game since the Paris Olympics and appeared to be the most dynamic player on the court despite sharing the court with Team USA teammates Anthony Davis, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.

Read more: Lakers star LeBron James is riding the momentum of a “great summer” into training camp

James made eight of 12 goals from the field, five rebounds and four assists in 16 minutes. He didn’t play the second half. Davis, who opened the game with a lob dunk, finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.

“I felt like I never missed a beat,” Davis said.

The Lakers, who led by as many as 16 points, lost 61-45 in the second half. Nevertheless, there were mostly good feelings after the game. The team played better than it did in Friday’s loss to Minnesota. It adapted better to Redick’s new system. And it was a special moment for his most successful player and his son.

“The moment we came out of the timeout and he took full court and I went up because my guy was taking the ball out, we were standing next to each other,” LeBron James said. “And I kind of looked at him,” and it was just like, “Is that ‘The Matrix’ or something?”

“It just didn’t feel real.”

Subscribe to our weekly Lakers newsletter.

This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.