American basketball player
LeBron Raymone Bronny James Jr. (born October 6, 2004) is an American college basketball player for the USC Trojans of the Pac-12 Conference. A consensus four-star recruit, he was named a McDonald’s All-American as a senior in high school in 2023. James is the eldest child of professional basketball player LeBron James.
James was born on October 6, 2004, in Akron, Ohio, to reigning NBA Rookie of the Year LeBron James, age 19, and his girlfriend Savannah Brinson, age 18.He was raised by both of his parents,[2] who married in 2013. As a child, James played several sports including basketball and soccer, but his father did not allow him to play football or ice hockey because of safety concerns. By the time he was 10 years old, his highlights from youth basketball games were drawing national attention. During his childhood, James played for the Miami City Ballers with teammates such as Jett Howard and the Houston-based Gulf Coast Blue Chips. In middle school, he competed for the North Coast Blue Chips, a team that included Mikey Williams. James also played for Old Trail School in Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio, where he attended middle school, and led his team to an Independent School League tournament win. In July 2018, a youth game featuring James was canceled after a fan wearing a Michael Jordan jersey heckled his father and was denied entrance. On August 6, 2018, he enrolled at Crossroads School, a private K–12 school in Santa Monica, California. California state rules prevented him from immediately joining the varsity team because he was in eighth grade. On December 3, 2018, in his first game for the school, James scored 27 points in a 61–48 victory over Culver City Middle School. In April 2019, he made his Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) debut with Strive for Greatness.
On May 29, 2019, James transferred to Sierra Canyon School, a private K–12 school in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, for his freshman year of high school. He joined the school with his brother Bryce and incoming senior Zaire Wade, son of Dwyane Wade, a longtime teammate of James’ father. Sierra Canyon’s basketball program, under head coach Andre Chevalier, was one of the best in the nation and won the previous two California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Open Division state titles. The 2019–20 team was led by five-star recruits, Brandon Boston Jr. and Ziaire Williams, who transferred there for their senior years.[22] Entering the season, ESPN announced that its networks would air 15 of the team’s games. Despite heavy media attention, James’s father barred him from being interviewed.
On November 21, 2019, James made his high school debut, scoring 10 points off the bench in a 91–44 win over Montgomery High School. On December 14, he scored 15 points, including a go-ahead layup, and was named the game’s most valuable player (MVP) in a 59–56 victory over his father’s alma mater, St. Vincent–St. Mary High School. On January 15, 2020, James scored a season-high 17 points in a 117–62 win over Viewpoint School. Five days later, during a Hoophall Classic game against Paul VI Catholic High School, an orange peel was thrown by a young fan at James, causing a brief stoppage of play. Although the offender was not immediately identified, a clip of the incident went viral, drawing criticism from James’ father, and the fan issued an apology. Sierra Canyon reached the Open Division state championship game, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a freshman, James averaged 4.1 points in 15 minutes per game, as Sierra Canyon finished with a 30–4 record, and was his team’s only player to appear in all 34 games of the season.
James stands at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and can play the point guard and shooting guard positions. Analysts have described shooting and defense as his main strengths, although he lacks the size of most NBA players with his skill set. James excels in catch-and-shoot situations and is also capable of shooting off movement. He can defend point guards and his defensive anticipation and intensity have been praised. In 2023, ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony noted that James was developing into one of the top perimeter defenders in his class. James has a high basketball IQ and is a willing passer. Although he is a reliable ball-handler, he can struggle to create separation from defenders. His driving and finishing abilities have been labeled as weaknesses, despite him having the strength to finish through contact. James’s playing style has drawn comparisons to De’Anthony Melton, Lonzo Ball, and Jrue Holiday