Bronny James won’t be one of the top-10 recruits of 2023 college basketball recruiting cycle. However, he will be the biggest name.
The oldest child of NBA legend LeBron James has been making headlines as he stars for Sierra Canyon High School in Southern California. The younger James is also coming off a geat performance during Nike’s Peach Jam in which he averaged 15.8 points per game and made some highlight-reel plays.
As the 2023 recruiting cycle gets going, On3’s Jamie Shaw just broke some news. According to the insider, the Oregon Ducks are now favored to land James.
“We are told James is going to go through the process. At this point, the plan is to take virtual visits, Zooms, and in-person visits and go through the whole experience. Sources tell us that at this point, Oregon has a lead and that James will end up in Eugene.”
Report on Bronny James
The report adds that the USC Trojans and Ohio State Buckeyes are among the other potential favorites to land James once he makes an ultimate decision.
USC makes sense in that LeBron is currently playing with the Los Angeles Lakers and has built up an empire in Southern California. As for Ohio State, LeBron’s a native of Ohio and would have opted for the Buckeyes had he not directly gone to the NBA from high school all the way back in 2003.
Previously, it was noted that Bronny James had the Texas Longhorns, Tennessee Volunteers and Duke Blue Devils in mind, too. We’re not too sure what has changed in that regard. What we do know is that LeBron has a solid relationship with former Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski. His retirement might have played a role in Duke dropping out of the running.
Related: LeBron James vows to sign with any NBA team that drafts Bronny James
LeBron James, Bronny James and connection to the Oregon Ducks
Oregon’s status as a favorite shouldn’t be considered too much of a surprise. LeBron signed a lifetime deal with Nike eons ago. A graduate of Oregon and product of the Pacific Northwest, Phil Knight co-founded Nike. He has a built-in relationship with several star NBA players and has made Oregon a Nike factory in recent years.
It’s also important to note that Ducks head coach Dana Altman has been hitting the recruiting trail big time. That includes bringing in five-star players such as Mookie Cook and Kwame Evans. For his part, Bronny James has a relationship with Cook. The two were travel teammates with the North Coast Blue Chips team in middle school, per On3.
LeBron James has made no bones about it. He wants to play with his son in the NBA. Whether Bronny has what it takes to make it in the Association remains to be seen. But it’s clear that he’s ascending the recruiting rankings big time.
With the older James leading the charge, Bronny is now going to be a major focal point around the college basketball world in the months to come. His ultimate decision will be aided by a father who has built up an empire and has his son’s best interests in mind.