“His hairline will recede, then miraculously un-recede” – Serena Williams wishes Bronny James a lengthy NBA career with joke about dad’s hair at ESPYS (Credit: Serena Williams, LeBron James/Instagram)

Tennis legend Serena Williams took up this year’s hosting job in the ESPYs. Williams opened the award show that aims to honor the world’s top athletes with plenty of jokes, referencing numerous moments in the sports world, which also included the Los Angeles Lakers’ selection of Bronny James in the draft.

In one of her jokes in her opening monologue, Williams wished Bronny, the eldest son of Lakers’ superstar LeBron James, a lengthy NBA career. The tennis star then quipped about LeBron James’ hairline, which has been a source of humor throughout his career.

“He (Bronny) got drafted to the Lakers where he will play with his dad, and I truly hope Bronny has a long career, so long that we will see his hairline will recede then miraculously un-recede like (his) dad,” said Williams as she drew laughs.

Fans first noticed LeBron’s thinning hairline in his first year with the Miami Heat. The hair has since grown back during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he did not use a headband anymore.

Since he transferred to the Lakers in 2018, James has not used his headband often. Now in his 22nd season in the NBA, he will play with his son Bronny to become the first father-son duo in league history.

The Lakers drafted Bronny using the 55th pick in the past NBA draft to fulfill LeBron’s dream of playing with his son before retiring from the NBA.

Bronny James enters the league one year removed from a life-threatening open-heart surgery. Months after the operation, Bronny joined the USC Trojans in the middle of the season, where he averaged 4.84 points, 2.84 rebounds, and 2.12 assists per game.

Bronny James debuts in the California Summer League for the Lakers

Bronny James had his first taste of an NBA court in the California Classic Summer League with the L.A. Lakers.

Playing two out of the three scheduled games for the Lakers, Bronny averaged 3.5 points per game as the Lakers went 0-3 in the tournament.

In his debut game, Bronny scored four points in 21 minutes of action versus the Sacramento Kings, playing as the team’s point guard. The 6-foot-1 Bronny followed it up with three points in another loss versus the Miami Heat on July 11.

Bronny, however, stood out through his defense as she showed his quick feet and laterals that clamped opposing players down. He had a total of three steals, and three blocks on just two turnovers across two Summer League games.

On July 2, Bronny signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the Lakers, with its fourth year containing a team option. Bronny plays with the jersey number 9, an upside-down digit of his father’s famous No. 6.