With 5:16 left in the fourth quarter and the Lakers trailing 119-98, Bronny James entered the game for the first time, but his father was done playing for the night. The son came off the bench after fans chanted, “We want Bronny,” with about eight and a half minutes left in the game, and the Cavs (5-0) were ahead by 23 points. The chants blared on two other occasions, with 7:06 and 6:29 remaining. He received loud cheers when he entered the game and again when he made his basket.

“It was crazy, a lot more than I expected, but it’s all love,” said Bronny James, who scored two points on 1-2 shooting from the field, two assists and a steal in five minutes. “It was crazy. It was a beautiful moment. The songs really touched me. I was serious, but I felt it, and it felt really good, especially from here. Yes, it was a special moment for me for sure.”

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LeBron James is used to a hero’s welcome when he reunites with the Cavs, but last time was different. The Cavaliers played a tribute video and shouted out together to LeBron and Bronny James. With the Cavs leading 20-15, the performance shown on the scoreboards with 6:55 left in the first quarter drew a standing ovation from the Cleveland crowd.

“It was a pretty cool moment,” LeBron James said. “I didn’t really have the opportunity to take advantage of the moment in any way because we got our (butts) kicked in that moment. So I was a little angry. At this point during this time off, I was a little angry. So I haven’t had a chance to really appreciate it, but I’ve heard it. And then when they said his name, I kind of looked up and tapped him on the leg. That’s just pretty cool.”

To add to the hometown feel, Bronny James brought a drink and bag of food from Swensons after the game. The famous drive-in theater with Akron roots is one of his father’s favorites.

The Cavs selected LeBron James No. 1 overall out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in 2003. The next year, the oldest of LeBron and Savannah James’ three children, Bronny, was born at Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital.

As a child, Bronny James spent countless days at the downtown arena where his father competed as a member of the Cavs. Bronny James revealed that he even played pickup basketball with other players’ children on the practice court on the top floor of the arena during Cavs games.

The memories came back.

“(We have) a lot of great memories on the court, but also a lot of great memories off the floor in this community,” LeBron James said. “It’s definitely very humbling to feel the mutual respect and love for what we’ve been able to accomplish in the years we’ve been here. And we don’t take it for granted every time we come back and play the game. “We love what we did tonight or just being home and in the community.”

LeBron James, 39, is in his 22nd NBA season. The league’s all-time leading scorer has played 11 seasons with the Cavs (2003-10 and 2014-18), four with the Miami Heat (2010-14) and is in his seventh season with the Lakers (2018-present).

In June, the Lakers selected 20-year-old Bronny James (No. 55 overall) out of the University of Southern California in the second round.

Now, LeBron James is watching his new teammate and his son realize an NBA dream.

“It’s the greatest thing in the world,” said LeBron James.

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Nate Ulrich can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.