by The recruitment of star recruit Bronny James, the oldest son of LeBron James, appears to be on the home stretch with recent news that he has a final three from Ohio State, USC and Oregon and is eyeing a potential appointment once the final of the 2022-23 Sierra Canyon Season.
James’ star has risen in recent years with increased interest in how LeBron’s son would develop, mainly because he has said he wants to play in the NBA at the same time as him. And that star turn has been validated not only with hundreds of thousands of social media followers off the court, but with promising development on the court as well.
Last summer, Bronny had a strong showing on the AAU circuit, going from an under-50 recruit to a borderline top-40 talent. That rise has only continued in recent months, as he is now ranked 34th in the 247Sports national rankings.
It’s been a long and winding draft for Bronny with uncertainty not only about where he will end up in college, but also if he’d go on to college – there’s been some speculation that he’d consider turning pro after high school at some point – but his future has been starting to crystallize lately and he stands out as the highest-ranked uncommitted recruit yet on the board for the 2023 cycle to add some talent to wrap up your decision-making process.
So where will he go? Here’s the latest on LeBron James Jr. – who goes by “Bronny” – as we turn a corner on their recruitment process.
Bronny named to Nike Hoop Summit roster
The prestigious annual Nike Hoop Summit, held annually at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, sponsored by Nike and organized by USA Basketball, will feature Bronny on its US roster this year. USA Basketball on Tuesday released the full USA roster for the event, which features all of the best prospects from around the world, and included James along with a host of likely future NBA players. Top five recruits Isaiah Collier and Kentucky star five Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner were also among the nominees for the USA shortlist.
Bronny Earns All-American Honors from McDonald’s
The 2023 McDonald’s All-American rosters have been released, and Bronny was one of 24 players to receive this year’s distinction as one of the best players in high school basketball. Bronny is the only one of the 24 currently not committed to a school or other professional path for the upcoming season. He was named to the West roster alongside USC’s five-star guard Isaiah Collier and Oregon’s four-star forward Mookie Cook, both going to schools reportedly under final consideration by Bronny.
Does he go to college?
By all appearances, college is the most likely option for Bronny James right now. Just a few months ago, there was huge anticipation in the industry that turning pro after high school – whether it was to go to the G League Ignite, the NBL in Australia or perhaps with the Overtime Elite – was the most likely path he would take. School officials, rumors of possible landing sites, gave no indication that he was a viable target and believed he was not interested in attending college.
That tide has turned in recent months. In a Sports Illustrated article last August, even the James family — both dad LeBron and mom Savannah — hinted that college is increasingly looking like the most likely path forward. That seems to be all but confirmed when news broke this week of his three final schools and an imminent appointment. From SI:
When I sit with them, the family is undecided. LeBron talks about the options, giving each one equal weight, and says they’ll decide at a family meeting. Savannah tells me that Bronny “wants to have a college career,” and I have a feeling she’d like that too. “I think it would be really cool for him to start with college basketball, just to start his legacy there,” he says.
Then, in early August — after LeBron told me, “The best thing I can see right now is my two boys on the same team” — Bryce and Bronny share the court for the first time while playing for the California Basketball Club on an overseas tour. , and LeBron is impressed, tweeting: “This is INSANE! I’m EMOTIONAL AF!! WOW.” And the future is getting a little brighter: When I reach out to LeBron in late August, he says that Bronny now “wants to go the college route,” and later that week, Bryce gets his first DI offer, from Keith Dambrot, from Duquesne, LeBron’s old friend. high school coach.
Who offered Bronny?
More than six years ago, Duke and Kentucky would have made permanent offers for Bronny. But it’s not clear if any schools have kept in touch with him, much less if those offers still stand. Anyway, it looks like he focused on three schools, ranging from the two west coast schools (Oregon, USC) and the school in the state where LeBron was born and raised (Ohio State).
Next level projection
Despite a strong run this summer at the EYBL circuit and a continued rise this winter with Sierra Canyon, James is a four-star prospect ranked just outside the top 30 national rankings and clearly outside the five-star projections that would place him in the category of a likely-and-done. Whether or not he can be a complete may depend on who you ask, but there’s no denying he’s got the talent and IQ of a future pro, even if projecting him ahead isn’t quite as straightforward.
“Who knows what the future holds for him, but I’m certainly not watching him and thinking he’s looming like a lottery pick.” 247Sports recruiting expert Eric Bossi told me. “Heck, the Class of 2023 isn’t a particularly great class and there really aren’t that many guys — regardless of classification — that we’re looking at and thinking ‘Hey, this guy is going to play in the NBA for 15 years.’ So I’m looking at him as a kid who has a chance to be a good college player, and then we’ll see what happens from there.”
Bryce James becoming a talent
Bronny’s younger brother, Bryce Maximus James, who is one of LeBron’s two children and one of his three offspring, emerged last year as a potentially interesting long-term prospect alongside Bronny. A 2025 recruit, he has grown to around 6ft-3, trim, and has a long, lean frame that has sparked intrigue over his trajectory.
LeBron, in turn, has already declared his goal about his eldest son – he wants to play in the NBA with him -, but Bryce’s development has opened the door for the Lakers star to now at least tip aiming to play alongside his younger son as well.
“I feel like I could play for a long time,” LeBron told SI. “So it’s all down to my body, but more importantly my mind. If my mind can stay sharp, fresh and motivated, then the sky isn’t even the limit for me. I can go beyond that. But we’ll see.”
No father-son duo has ever played together in an NBA game, making the prospect of LeBron and Bronny playing together a long shot in itself. So a parent playing with two of his sons in the NBA seems aspirational and maybe even weird. Then again, LeBron in his career has defied the laws of longevity. Who knows where he will be in three or four years?
