Bronny James scored 19 points and led Sierra Canyon to a 71-53 victory over St. Vincent-St. Mary at The Chosen-1’s Invitational on Saturday Dec. 4. On hand was Bronny’s dad, Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar and St. Vincent-St. Mary’s alumnus LeBron James.
Joining James in the crowd at Staples Center were his Lakers teammates Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony.
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Bronny hit four threes and played pretty well, displaying skills and athleticism that will help him as he hopes to move and play at the next level.
“It felt special playing on the same court as he’s played,” Bronny James said of his father after the win. “I’m getting a lot of confidence from that, and it was a really special game for me. Afterwards, he just said he liked everything I was doing, with my poise and my pace for the game.”
Wait….Bronny James’ high school team is playing a showcase game AT THE STAPLES CENTER??? Lebron really is the most powerful man in sports. pic.twitter.com/V7qMSCq9LG
— Barstool Are Dee Tee (@editti22) December 5, 2021
Sierra Canyon was without its best player, Amari Bailey, and head coach Andre Chevalier was impressed with his team and the younger James.
“Bronny has, over the last couple of weeks, taken great strides and for him to show his ability, his confidence, his poise in a game like this was amazing,” Chevalier said. “With someone like Amari [Bailey] being out, Bronny has stepped up and showed his leadership on the court.”
Bronny is part of the high-school graduating class of 2023. The remainder of this season and the summer going into next season are crucial to his development and his basketball future. At 6’2″, he’s a pretty good athlete, though not particularly long. He plays as a combo guard, but shows a skill set for playmaking.
According to ESPN’s high school rankings, Bronny is the 49th-ranked player in his class, 13th by position, and fifth in the state. He has drawn interest from collegiate powerhouses Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA. But beyond an offer from Kentucky, not much else is known.
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Bleacher Report’s scout and draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman shared his thoughts on Bronny’s performance.
Sharp performance from Bronny James at the Staples Center this weekend. Hit 4 3PT, nice display of shooting versatility, shotmaking confidence. Few slick open-floor plays, dribble moves. Defensive timing. Well-rounded guard with skill and mind set to play on/off ball. pic.twitter.com/hSHhPOagWn
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) December 6, 2021
Bronny James is in a unique position as a prep player given who his father is and the changes to how prep athletes choose to continue their basketball careers. College is an option, but not the only one.
Bronny doesn’t have the financial concerns that other players might, though he may want to earn money on his own if a sponsorship opportunity presents itself.
It’s clear that Bronny and LeBron’s desire is for the younger James to play in the NBA someday. What path will best prepare him for that possibility?
Bronny could go the route of his former teammate Zaire Wade, son of Dwyane Wade, and turn professional right after his prep career ends. The younger James could be selected by the G League’s developmental team. He could join Overtime Elite’s program, or even play overseas. Though the latter seems unlikely.
Right now as a player Bronny is good, but not yet NBA caliber. He is still growing and a few more inches and pounds of muscle could change everything. From all accounts, the work ethic is there and he has possibly the greatest player of all time as a father.
He’ll have every opportunity to prove that he can be an NBA player. It will all come down to what he does on the court.
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