LeBron James Jr.

Lebron James Jr.
Born (2004-10-06) October 6, 2004
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Residence Brentwood, Los Angeles
Nationality American
Other names Bronny
Known for Son of Lebron James
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Parent(s) Lebron James
Savannah Brinson

LeBron Raymone James Jr. (/ləˈbrɒn/; born October 6, 2004), often nicknamed "Bronny",[1][2] is an American basketball player who attends Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California. He plays for the North Coast Blue Chips at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) level. James is the oldest son of National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar LeBron James and philanthropist Savannah James. He attended Old Trail School in Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio. James has drawn the attention of national media outlets on a regular basis and has received offers from top NCAA Division I basketball programs.

Early life

James was born on October 6, 2004 to LeBron James, age 19, and his longtime girlfriend (now wife) Savannah Brinson, who first met while attending St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.[3] The names of Brinson and James Jr. were not initially released to the public.[3] James was raised by both of his parents and was featured in national publications like ESPN from his birth.[4] He regularly attended his father's NBA games.[4][5] The elder James said, "I get home and my son is smiling or he comes running to me. It has just made me grow as an individual and grow as a man."[4] James Jr. has a younger brother Bryce, born in 2007, and a younger sister Zhuri, born in 2014.[6][7] At the time of Bryce's birth, his father joked that his two sons resembled "two small, small forwards, kind of like Tayshaun Prince."[6]

Career

In his childhood, James played several sports including basketball and soccer, but his father did not allow him to play football or ice hockey over safety concerns.[8][9] At age 9, he played basketball for the Miami City Ballers at a fourth grade AAU tournament while being observed by Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari.[10] Ohio State Buckeyes coach Thad Matta joked, "He'll be on the recruiting radar... I need to offer him a scholarship."[11] In late 2014, James drew increasing attention for his highlight reels, including a one-handed half-court shot while practicing with his father.[12][13][14] In February 2015, it was revealed that James had already received basketball scholarship offers from colleges, although the specific names were not announced.[15] His father commented, "It should be a violation, you shouldn't be recruiting 10-year-old kids."[16] In June, James led his AAU team, the Gulf Coast Blue Chips, to win the League Dallas/Hype Sports Summer Jam.[17] In June 2016, ESPN reported that he held offers to play college basketball for Kentucky and Duke.[18]

In March 2017, after James took part in the John Lucas All-Star Weekend tournament, his father said, "I didn't handle the ball as well as [James Jr.] does. He handles the ball exceptionally and he shoots it a lot better than I did at that age, but I've always had the ability to pass the ball. It's good to see him doing it as well."[19] Later in the month, James led the North Coast Blue Chips AAU team to a 5–0 record at the Michigan Basketball Academy's Spring Showcase in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[20] He made headlines in The Washington Post, which remarked that he is "maybe better than his dad in some ways."[21] In August, James drew more attention after throwing an off-the-backboard alley-oop to NBA player Hassan Whiteside in a pick-up game.[22]

In late February 2018, James guided Old Trail School, which he attended in Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio, to an ISL Tournament title win over Gilmour Academy.[23] The website USA Today High School Sports labeled him "every bit his father's player on the court" after the performance.[24] In early March, James led the North Coast Blue Chips to a John Lucas All-Star Weekend championship with NBA star Chris Paul in attendance.[25][26] On April 2, 2018, he helped the Blue Chips finish undefeated and claim the under-13 title at the NY2LA Swish 'N Dish Tournament in Wisconsin, drawing attention for a crossover during the event.[27] In June, James took part in the Jr. NBA Midwest Championships against 9th grade opponents.[28] After advancing out of pool play, his North Coast Blue Chips team lost in the quarterfinals, 57–38, despite James' 8 points and 6 assists.[28] At the USBA National Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina in mid-July, after a verbal exchange with members of the Alabama Hoopers, James made 4 three-pointers in a 84–59 win.[29] On July 29, he reportedly made his first slam dunk during warm-ups for the Bigfoot Hoops Las Vegas Classic.[30]

On August 6, 2018, it was announced that James would attend Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California.[31] However, he will not be able to play with the varsity basketball team in the 2018–19 season under California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) rules.[32]

Personal life

James wears the number 0 jersey as inspiration from his favorite NBA player Russell Westbrook, who plays point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder.[33][34][35] His godfather is Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul.[36]

References

  1. ↑ Joseph, Andrew (July 29, 2018). "13-year-old Bronny James threw down first dunk". USA Today. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  2. ↑ O'Donnell, Ricky (July 27, 2018). "Bronny James is the 13-year-old superstar son of LeBron. This is what you need to know". SB Nation. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Berkowitz, Lana (December 31, 2004). "In 2004, celebrities start their own baby boom". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "LeBron James: beyond his years, beyond the hype". ESPN. December 10, 2005. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  5. ↑ Withers, Tom (March 26, 2007). "LeBron invites buddy Buffett to game". Contra Costa Times. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Withers, Tom (June 14, 2007). "LeBron, Girlfriend Welcome Their 2nd Son". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  7. ↑ Vardon, Joe (October 29, 2014). "LeBron James confirms birth of daughter, says "my family is happy"". Cleveland.com. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  8. ↑ Broussard, Chris (November 13, 2014). "LeBron: No football in my house". ESPN. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  9. ↑ Dockterman, Eliana (November 13, 2014). "LeBron James Explains Why He Won't Let His Kids Play Football". Time. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  10. ↑ Sherman, Rodger (July 20, 2014). "LeBron James and John Calipari watch LeBron's fourth-grader play hoops". SB Nation. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  11. ↑ "OSU's Matta jokes LeBron James Jr. 'on recruiting radar'". Fox Sports. October 3, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  12. ↑ Good, Dan (December 23, 2014). "LeBron James Jr. Is Pretty Good at Basketball, Too". ABC News. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  13. ↑ Elliot, Danielle (October 7, 2014). "Just before 10th birthday, LeBron James Jr. hits half-court shot". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  14. ↑ "There are more awesome LeBron James Jr. highlights". Sports Illustrated. December 24, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  15. ↑ "LeBron James Jr., age 10, is already receiving offers from colleges". Sports Illustrated. February 25, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  16. ↑ "So LeBron James Jr. is a college hoops recruit, at age 10?". Cleveland.com. February 25, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Before his dad began the NBA Finals, LeBron James Jr. won a championship of his own". ESPN. June 3, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Report: LeBron James Jr. holds offers from Duke and Kentucky". Sports Illustrated. June 20, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  19. ↑ Fedor, Chris (March 6, 2017). "LeBron James Jr., 12-year-old basketball prodigy, passes like his dad". Cleveland.com. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  20. ↑ Agar, John (March 27, 2017). "LeBron James Jr. shows talent at Grand Rapids basketball tourney". MLive. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  21. ↑ Boren, Cindy (March 8, 2017). "How good is LeBron James's 12-year-old son? Maybe better than his dad in some ways". The Washington Post.
  22. ↑ Saldaña, Paul (August 14, 2017). "LeBron James Jr. throws alley-oop off backboard to Hassan Whiteside". ESPN. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  23. ↑ Joseph, Andrew (February 27, 2018). "LeBron watches 13-year-old son lead school to title". USA Today. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  24. ↑ Smith, Cam (February 28, 2018). "LeBron 'Bronny' James Jr. won another title while playing more and more like Dad". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  25. ↑ Joseph, Andrew (March 5, 2018). "LeBron James Jr. silenced former Cavs guard Mo Williams in championship AAU performance". For The Win. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  26. ↑ "LeBron James Jr, terrifies NBA all over again". news.com.au. March 6, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  27. ↑ Joseph, Andrew (April 3, 2018). "LeBron James Jr. stuns dad with ankle-breaking move". USA Today. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  28. 1 2 Joseph, Andrew (June 17, 2018). "LeBron James Jr. faced off against HS competition". USA Today. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  29. ↑ Joseph, Andrew (July 18, 2018). "13-year-old LeBron James Jr. responds to trash-talking opponent with a 3-point barrage". For The Win. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  30. ↑ Young, Ryan (July 29, 2018). "13-year-old LeBron James Jr. throws down his first dunk". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  31. ↑ Sondheimer, Eric (August 6, 2018). "Bronny James headed to Crossroads, report says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  32. ↑ Jordan, Jason (August 6, 2018). "Report: LeBron James Jr. will attend Crossroads School". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  33. ↑ Bohlin, Michael (February 17, 2018). "Russell Westbrook plays one-on-one with LeBron James Jr". 247Sports. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  34. ↑ Dator, James (March 15, 2016). "LeBron loves that his kids chose to wear Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook's numbers instead of his". SB Nation. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  35. ↑ Newport, Kyle (March 15, 2016). "LeBron James Says Sons Chose Numbers in Honor of Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  36. ↑ Cwik, Chris (March 5, 2018). "LeBron James Jr. put on a dominant show with godfather Chris Paul watching". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
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