Ben Affleck’s latest father-son activity was a slam dunk.
The Justice League star spent the evening courtside with his and ex-wife Jennifer Garner’s 12-year-old son Samuel at the Crypto.com Arena to watch the Los Angeles Lakers face off against the Golden State Warriors.
For the Feb. 6 outing, Ben’s youngest child donned a white Lakers jersey over his black and white tracksuit while his dad attended in a beige turtleneck and matching coat.
It seems NBA games are the perfect way for Affleck and Garner—who also share kids Violet, 18, and Seraphina, 15—to bond with Sam. After all, both have been seen enjoying Lakers games courtside.
Most recently, the Oscar winner took him to see the Los Angeles team beat the Toronto Raptors in November. Meanwhile, the 13 Going On 30 actress was previously seen cheering for the Golden State Warriors during their match against the Lakers alongside the tween in March 2023.
Despite Affleck’s divorce from Jennifer Lopez—who shares 16-year-old twins Emme and Max with ex-husband Marc Anthony—after two years of marriage, the 52-year-old has been committed to showing up for all their children.
In fact, Affleck, Garner and Lopez attended Emme and Seraphina’s play before the holidays in December.
For the Good Will Hunting star, being a present father has been the utmost priority, especially given his complicated relationship with his own dad, Timothy Byers Affleck.
“It’s important to have two parents for the rearing and upbringing of a child,” he told WSJ. Magazine in December 2021. “The most important thing to me is to be a good father. Boys need to be taught. How to behave, how to conduct yourself. What your values should be. The ways my father did that for me are really meaningful—as are the ways in which he was absent.”
“I’m aware of the importance of a father being there,” he continued. “As I was moving into adulthood as an adolescent, I remember casting around for an example, and the helplessness and the fear that come with not having something to hold on to, by way of example. So you trial-and-error your way towards manhood.”
As he put it, “You need a father for positive reinforcement.”
And Affleck couldn’t have asked for a better family as he navigated fatherhood.
“Kids are resilient,” he explained to People in February 2020. “They appreciate the truth. Kids, if you’re honest and open with them, can forgive failings and setbacks, and they want to love you and respect you. That’s my approach to fatherhood.”
“It’s trial and error,” he added. “You have to be able to forgive yourself as parents and say I’m not always going to do this perfectly. I’m going to do my best. I’m going to try my hardest. Sometimes I’m going to say and do the wrong thing but, like I said, kids are okay with that. If you’re honest and love them.”