Eighteen-year-old Bronny James will wear the same number as his father, LeBron, after selecting No. 6 for the University of Southern California (USC).
LeBron currently wears the No. 6 for the Los Angeles Lakers after switching from No. 23, and unsurprisingly Bronny wants to be like his father. The young talent has some major shoes to fill if he wants to end up like his father, but Bronny has genetics and mentoring on his side.
Until recently it wouldn't have been possible for Bronny to wear No. 6, as college players were only allowed to wear digits between 0-5. But that's now been expanded to involve digits 6-9, and it came just in time for the newest talent from the James family.
Previous rules kept the numbers between 0-5 to keep things simple for officials, and also to keep the game humble. But with college basketball growing so much, this has been relaxed and now players can select a more unique number.
James will be hoping the No. 6 does him well, and he could declare for the 2024 NBA Draft next year. After four years at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles, James committed to stay close to his father and play for USC.
"One of the best days of my life," LeBron said after his son enrolled at USC for the 2023-24 season. "He's the first one to go to college in my family. No matter the outcome of this game, I couldn't lose today."
LeBron also has major plans for the future, as he claimed to not retire until playing one full season with his son Bronny in the NBA. "My last year will be played with my son," James told The Athletic in 2022.
"Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point."
LeBron is currently 38, but Bronny is unlikely to be drafted after his first season. The 18-year-old may be used off the bench in his freshman year, but he will still be eligible for the 2024-25 draft. NBA rules state that a player must be 19 years old during the calendar year in which the draft is held, and at least one year removed from graduating high school.
Bronny will be 19 this October, and will also have hit one year after graduating high school. That means we could see a few more seasons of LeBron, and one very special retirement year from one of the greats, before passing over to his son.
The 18-year-old is currently six-foot-three and his best asset is defence, with a high basketball IQ and brilliant understanding of the game. His skills still need to be worked on, but there's plenty of time for that.
