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For the third consecutive year, scouts from the NBA were in person to attend Nike’s Peach Jam, a hugely popular 18 and under AAU basketball tournament held in South Carolina.
Among those competing in the tourney this year was Bryce James, the 16-year-old son of former Miami Heat and current Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
LeBron, of course, had a legendary run when he played for Miami from 2010-14. Together with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who formed the “Big 3” along with James, the Heat won it all in 2012 and 2013, when James also won back-to-back MVP awards.
Now, 10 years later, Miami is keeping a close eye on Bryce, who is still two years shy of college. “Scouts from the Lakers, Magic, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Heat, Knicks, Suns, Hawks and other teams all made James a priority on Day 1 of games,” Krysten Peek of Yahoo! Sports reported on July 4, adding:
“The gym was packed with fans and LeBron was noticeably absent from the sidelines, but is expected to show up later this week to support his son. A 6-4 shooting guard, James has excellent shooting mechanics and a high release. He’s getting to the rim a bit easier and has found a second burst in transition.”
LeBron Has Been Coaching Bryce at Peach Jam
LeBron pulled up to coach Bryce 🔥 @KingJames @NikeEYB
Bryce is playing in the 16-under division for his AAU team, Strive For Greatness and while James was not on the sidelines the day Peek was reporting on, The King showed up a day later on July 5 to draw up some plays for Bryce’s squad, as captured in the above video shared by Overtime. LeBron doesn’t serve as the team’s head coach, but he seems amenable to offering his vast basketball knowledge to the kids when it’s needed.
The Peach Jam is part of the EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) circuit, which has been instrumental in shaping the careers of over half of the NBA’s American-born players. According to The Circuit, 55.1% of the league’s American-born talent played in Nike’s EYBL league as teenagers.
Bryce Is Currently 1 of 2 Chips Off the Old Block
The 16-year-old Bryce currently attends Campbell Hall High School in Los Angeles. He has already received one scholarship offer from a Division I school, Duquesne University, which will likely be the first of many. Bryce’s older brother Bronny, LeBron’s oldest son, is a also a promising young basketball player. A recent USC recruit, Bronny is set to make his collegiate debut on November 6, 2023, when the Trojans take on Kansas State.
A shooting guard, Bryce, who is heading into his junior year in high school, will be a freshman in college in 2025. It’s far too early to make any predictions about where he’ll end up, but so far, all signs are pointing up for Bryce, who one insider has said may be better than his older brother Bronny.
“There are people who told me that Bryce actually might be the better prospect amongst the two,” NBA insider Brian Windhorst said on the Dan Patrick Show in March of 2022. While Bryce is still several years away from college and potentially the NBA, how cool would it be if the young James eventually took his talents to South Beach?
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Heat Scouts Make Son of Team Legend ‘A Priority’