LeBron James made NBA history when he played alongside his son Bronny for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bronny, who joined the Lakers as a second round draft pick from the University of Southern California in June, joined his father on the court as a second-quarter substitute during a pre-season game against the Phoenix Suns.

They became the first father-son pairing to play in the same NBA game on Bronny’s 20th birthday.

LeBron, 39, is the NBA’s all-time record point scorer, a four-time NBA winner and widely recognised as one of the greatest players of all time.

The match marked his first outing of a record-equalling 22nd season in the NBA and comes after he won Olympic gold for the USA in Paris.

Bronny James, his father’s eldest son, underwent a procedure last year to correct a congenital heart defect, which was discovered after he went into cardiac arrest during a summer workout.

In May, he was cleared by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel of three doctors who reviewed his medical records.

He made his Lakers debut in their opening pre-season games against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

Bronny played about nine minutes in the second half as the Lakers lost 118-114 to the Suns.