- Grading the Lakers’ newest acquisitions of D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt
- Report: Russell Westbrook and Darvin Ham had ‘heated’ verbal exchange during halftime of Lakers-Thunder game
- Draymond Green calls Joe Tsai ‘petty’ for not trading Kyrie Irving to Lakers
- LeBron James says he can still win ‘any franchise’ multiple championships
- NBA players erupt as LeBron James breaks all-time scoring record
- Enes Freedom takes brutal shot at LeBron James after Lakers star breaks all-time scoring record
- Report: Jazz have had talks about sending package of rotation players to Lakers for Russell Westbrook and 2 1st-round picks
- Stephen A. Smith says Russell Westbrook has been asset off bench and should stay in L.A. for rest of season
- Report: LeBron James recently worked on skyhook shot with his trainers
- Cam Thomas jokes around after joining LeBron James in the history books: ‘I’m a Kobe guy’
LeBron James says he can send Bronny to any college in the country: ‘All I have to do is pick up the phone’
- Updated: January 23, 2023
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James’ eldest son Bronny will very likely be headed to college to play basketball next fall, and the four-time MVP recently made it clear that he can send his son to any college in the country.
The elder James issued a pretty interesting message about the role he could potentially play in the younger James’ education and basketball career.
“I think Bronny can go to any college he wants to. All I have to do is pick up the phone. If Bronny says he wants to go there, he’s good enough.”
– LeBron James
(Via @Oregonian) pic.twitter.com/Ki7fjaS8wk
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) January 23, 2023
This message will certainly be of interest to the many critics who believe that the younger James’ success as a basketball player largely hinges on his father’s fame and influence. However, the elder James also made it clear that he believes his son is a good enough player to play for any program.
As it stands, the younger James is rated as a four-star recruit by 247 Sports. He’s ranked as the No. 34 recruit in his 2023 class.
“One of his strengths is his ability to make catch and shoot jump shots and he is a fantastic passer. James gives good effort on the defensive end where he plays with toughness and versatility,” Eric Bossi wrote for 247 Sports.
Players that are ranked just below the younger James are heading to schools like the University of North Carolina, Michigan State University, University of Kansas and many of the other top basketball programs in the country.
For that reason, it appears abundantly clear that the elder James knows that his son has what it takes to compete at a high level in college.
When it comes to the young man’s own recruitment journey, he currently has confirmed offers from the University of Memphis, Ohio State University and University of Southern California. If he were to sign with the Trojans, he’d join the No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class Isaiah Collier.
Interestingly, Collier is a 6-foot-3 point guard, just like the younger James himself. For that reason, perhaps USC isn’t the most likely destination on the list.
The truth is that until he is able to prove himself, there will be many that doubt the talented teen. That is the burden that comes with being the son of one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game.
However, his parentage has come with many more gifts than burdens. The younger James has been training at a high level for much of his life, and it seems as though that training has paid off.