LeBron James’ son Bronny was rushed off the court at a high school game following a gun scare.
The highly-anticipated high school match between Bronny’s Sierra Canyon and DeMatha was cut short after a horrific gun scare prompted a panicked evacuation of the gym. The match took place outside Washington DC on Saturday night.
Several fans reportedly got into an altercation in the stands and a gun was pulled, which led to mass panic and hysteria among attendees. Everyone in attendance was filed out of the gym and police did not find any weapon despite an investigation described as 'thorough'.
Following the fear of a weapon being pulled, players including Bronny took off in panic. TMZ Sports reported that a police spokesperson added: “There were no injuries.”
The two teams did not complete the game as the erred on the side of caution. Bronny - who had 11 points in the game - was clearly shaken up by the worrying scenes as he posted a statement to his Instagram, writing: “High schoolers can’t even hoop in peace now a days.” LeBron is yet to comment on the incident.
A game had been scheduled for Sunday but it was ultimately cancelled by Paragon Marketing Group, the event’s organisers. Paragon Marketing Group president Rashid Ghazi said: “Given the incident in the stands tonight during the CBC vs. Stags game at Wise High School, we have cancelled Sunday's event.
“We are making the decision out of the utmost of caution to ensure player and fan safety. Refunds will be available via Go Fan.”
Sierra Canyon also features former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen's son Justin as well as ex Orlando Magic star Penny Hardaway's son Ashton. DeMatha is a traditional basketball powerhouse that has produced NBA players such as Adrian Dantley, Victor Oladipo and Markelle Fultz.
Bronny is ranked as the 45th-best recruit according to 247 Sports and 34th by ESPN. He reportedly has suitors including Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina.
James - who signed with the Los Angeles Lakers after leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018 - has long held interest in playing alongside his son, who could be drafted by an NBA team as early as 2025. The four-time NBA champion has publicly declared the prospect of playing in the NBA with Bronny as a goal of his before James finally calls time on his career.
