Bryce James, the younger son of Los Angeles Lakers All-Star small forward LeBron James, has gradually established himself in the AAU ranks as a name to watch. His agility is unequaled wherever he goes, and he appears to be enjoying himself while playing in his AAU league.
That first video, for example, is NASTY. He pretended that the defender needed a map.
He also slams a pair of dunks, giving the impression that he’s ready to tear up the NBA. But don’t forget about it.
HE’S ONLY 16 YEARS OLD!!
People are already comparing him to his brother and speculating that he might even be better than Bronny before he even starts college.
But that’s not why I’ve come. We can see the plays that Bryce is capable of; it’s just a matter of maintaining that consistency throughout his high school and even college careers.
The list of high school athletes with NIL contracts is very remarkable, including Arch Manning, who recently graduated, and Jada Williams, a standout basketball player. So Bryce’s NIL contract heading into his junior year is quite extraordinary.
Of course, having one of the greatest basketball players of all time as your father helps.
But it all comes down to this. Can Bryce James remain healthy, consistent, and competitive in high school?
After viewing that footage, my immediate reactions were ‘absolutely’ and ‘yep, he’s going to dominate the next level’. But it’s not so much about his AAU numbers as it is about how he competes against other high school players.
And now that he’s looked into transfer colleges, I’m really curious to see how he’ll fare on one of California’s largest stages.