The NBA is entering its nepobaby era

At exactly four minutes left in the second quarter of the game, with perfect synchrony and with all eyes in the Staples Center focused on the scoreboard, LeBron James and his son Bronny took off their yellow and purple suits and stepped onto an NBA court together for the first time. It was the first time a father-son duo had played together in an official game, an event that just a few years ago seemed impossible. But LeBron's incredible longevity at the highest level, combined with his obsession to share the court with his eldest son for at least one year, created this strange spatiotemporal tunnel where it was the father who filled his son's car with cereal before the game. Of course, everything was recorded and staged to be shared on social media just a few hours before tip-off. Because there's no denying that this was the story that monopolized the lead-up to the 79th NBA season, more than the Boston Celtics winning the title and being favored to repeat, more than reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, more than the revamped New York Knicks or the Golden State Warriors on their last chance.

The past few months, from the end of June's NBA Draft up until now, have been leading up to this moment, captured from all possible angles with the two mic'd up on the bench. "Are you ready?" LeBron asks his son, who nods without looking him in the eye, a scene that already seems post-produced for the documentary that will come out in a few months about this story - because we know it will - and which already represents one of the cornerstones of the King's legacy. More than his fifth ring, in fact, LeBron has spent most of his energy in recent years shaping his profile once he leaves the court, and his main work is obviously the one created with his own DNA. It is no coincidence that the subtitle of the second installment of Space Jam was indeed A New Legacy, a theme dear to LeBron's heart, in the hope that the result will be better than the sequel to the cult film starring Michael Jordan. "I still regret giving him my name at 14 years old," LeBron confessed years ago, burdening him with a weight that has historically crushed all the children of great champions in sports. But Bronny has overcome the difficulties of carrying such an important name and all the doubts related to nepotism that LeBron undoubtedly forced to bring him to play with him in Los Angeles.

Are those nepobabies?

In an NBA that has lost its brilliance in creating credible, fascinating, and engaging storylines beyond sports performances and bigger-than-life characters capable of generating interest and influencing consumption and aspirations even among the youngest, player's sons - or as they are called today - nepobaby can be the solution. They allow for continuity between different generations of fans and enthusiasts, as if they were sequels to blockbuster movies, often thanks to the use of ordinal numbering (I, II, III) or various diminutives - Jr. being the most popular - after the surname. And they bring a new generation closer to the history of the league, through young up-and-coming players who already have a large social media platform (Bronny currently has over eight million followers on IG) and an attitude shaped by years under the paternal spotlight. Bronny, in fact, is not and will not be the only NBA player with a famous last name on the back of their jersey.

Without going too far back in time, Shareef O'Neal was slowed down by various physical problems and was cut from the Sacramento Kings before the start of the season, but the suggestion remains of seeing a new O'Neal in the NBA soon (sorry, Royce). Just as we can expect the arrival of Carlos Boozer's sons - Cameron, one of the best players in his class - and Cayden, as well as their teammate Chris Paul Jr., son of CP3, in the coming years. But we may also see the names Tajh Ariza, Brandon Bass Jr., Dylan Harper, Jase Richardson, Jaxon Richardson, Jacob Wilkins, and Elijah Williams in the NBA, perhaps a sign that we truly live in the Matrix or in an NBA Live game that has gone on for too long.