LeBron James Jr. picked a college.
The oldest son of the NBA career scoring leader, Bronny, announced on Instagram earlier today that he’ll keep his talents close to home and suit up for USC. A five-star recruit, the 6-foot-3 combo guard averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals last season for Chatsworth Sierra Canyon High, according to the LA Times.
With James on board, USC has the top-ranked recruiting class for 2023 at 247sports.com, although how long the Trojans will enjoy that class is hard to say. James’ future teammate, Isaiah Collier, is the No. 1 overall recruit and likely a one-and-done, and James seems destined turn pro as soon as possible since LeBron, 38, has frequently talked about his desire for the pair to one day play on the same court.
The younger James already has an NIL deal with Nike and exists in realm similar to that of Arch Manning and Charlie Woods, in which they can cash in on the combination of their ability and their legacy. A website that ranks the NIL potential of college athletes, On3, puts James’ value at $5.9 million, highest on its list.
James had narrowed his choices down to USC, Ohio State and Oregon, but in the end chose to suit up less than five miles from the Crypto.com Arena, which his father’s Lakers call home. By the end of 2024, maybe Bronny will play there too.
