LeBron James shouted messages of support for son Bronny as he contested his final high school game as a member of Team USA.
The Nike Hoop Summit game saw 26 of the top players from the senior class alongside international players contest an all-star game. It was a competitive clash with Team USA narrowly securing a 90-84 win over the World.
James - the Los Angeles Lakers superstar - understands what it means to represent his country as he has won three Olympic gold medals since he made his debut in 2004. With five minutes remaining in the game, Team USA led by a point when Bronny checked into the game.
Acting as a second coach, James could be heard yelling, ‘sit down and guard’ and ‘by yourself’ to his son as well as Duke commit Jared McCain. Bronny is an talented defensive guard and the 18-year-old told reporters on Friday: “I take pride in my defence”.
Bronny has completed his senior season of high school basketball at Sierra Canyon, and he has been widely expected to go to college before entering the NBA. His father is a vocal supporter of Bronny and has publicly declared he wants to extend his career in order to play with the 18-year-old in the league.
In accordance with NBA rules, players must wait until one year after their class graduates high school before they are eligible to be drafted, which means Bronny won’t be able to enter the league until the 2024/25 season. He has received several offers from prominent basketball programmes, while he recently starred in the McDonald’s All-American Game.
He went 5-for-8 from 3-point range, finishing with 15 points and adding 4 assists. Against Team World, he connected on just 1-of-4 attempts from three-point range and finished with 11 points and 4 rebounds.
The teenager is uncommitted, but the guard is reportedly considering Ohio State, Oregon and USC with the latter thought to be leading the race given the proximity to the Lakers. Bronny has been playing alongside some of the top players in his class and boosting his stock - while his USA coach heaped praise on the burgeoning star.
“The biggest thing about Bronny is he’s very unselfish,” Steve Turner said after the game. “He can do a lot of different things at any given time. Tonight, I called on him to guard their best player, and he took the assignment and worked it to a charm. He’s a big part of why we won the game tonight.
“For a young man with so much pressure on him because of who he is and his family, he handles it like a pro. I was blessed to have the opportunity to coach him this week.”
Bronny has proved himself as a reliable shooter with deep shots coming both off the dribble and as a spot up. He is also considered a high-level defensive player for his age, so he is developing into a fine prospect.
The Australian National Basketball League has reportedly already reached out to him about the prospect of following in the footsteps of LaMelo Ball and playing Down Under. It would give him the advantage of making money while experiencing a slightly different basketball culture before he enters the NBA draft in 2024.
Four-time NBA champion James could - and likely will - opt out of the last year of his current deal with the Lakers to become an unrestricted free agent in the 2024 offseason. This would allow James to sign with any franchise, which appears to ultimately be the team that drafts Bronny next year.
