Bronny James, the eldest son of NBA superstar Lebron James, led his high school basketball team to a victory over his father’s alma mater with his parents courtside cheering him on, The New York Times reports.
It’s not everyday you get to witness greatness twice. But that’s exactly what Lebron James Jr., aka “Bronny,” is displaying for the world to see. The eldest son of NBA phenom Lebron James made his debut on the big screen in his father’s hometown in Ohio. There, he led the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers to a 59-56 win over St. Vincent-St. Mary Irish, Lebron James Sr.’s high school team.
Lebron made a name for himself at Akron, Ohio’s St. Vincent-St. Mary High School some two decades ago. Since then, he has donated $2 million to the school, renovated the gymnamsium that’s now named after him, and given another quarter million to pay for uniforms for athletes and band members. His best friend, Willie McGee, is also the athletic director.
But when Lebron and his wife Savannah walked into the Nationwide Arena, filled with 13,000 cheering fans, they were there for the opposing team. His son Bronny, a freshman, was playing for the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers, a very elite, very talented private school nestled in Los Angeles, known for its celebrity sightings. Former players include the sons of NBA legends Scottie Pippen and Kenyon Martin. But now, with Bronny and Dwayne Wade’s son on the team, the games have become primetime TV.
ESPN aired the game, with Lebron and Savannah sitting courtside and it was magical. The two could barely stay in their seats. Lebron shouting pointers from the sideline, and Savannah cheering on her first born. Over 400 media outlets were in attendance and it was Lebron’s first live game that he was able to attend. He recently spoke about the sacrifices he had to make, missing his children’s activities.
“I love what I do. I don’t take this for granted. This is a dream come true. But missing my son, missing Lebron Jr., missing Bryce’s first game the other day when we left for Orlando, missing my daughter at gymnastics and things of that nature, I understand it’s the business, but it sucks,” James told the press.
Which is why some are calling the photo of Lebron and Savannah standing up to watch Bronny hit a 3 pointer, the greatest sports moment ever! Lebron is seen in a photo, courtside, leaning on edge, Savannah holding on to him for dear life, with Bronny still in stance, as they all wait for the ball to sink in the hoop. It is truly a beautiful moment.
The photo captured by Mccoy Multimedia has been shared and liked some 3 million times already. The photographer took to Instagram to say that with all the fanfare, he hopes that he can “leverage this into a gig at @espn or @uniterrupted.” And of course, the memes have already started.
The Trailblazers are currently undefeated with a 8-0 record and Bronny was crowned MVP. Lebron called the moment, “a pretty surreal, come-full-circle, unbelievable thing.”
The game was one in a four-game series set to take place across California, Arizona, Ohio and Nevada. ESPN is scheduled to air 10 more Sierra Canyon games featuring the freshman phenom and Dwayne Wade’s son. And even with all the accolades, all the attention, over 20 million views on YouTube, Lebron says Bronny is still a child, and there are no future plans made yet.
“My son is in the ninth grade; he’s a kid. We’re not even thinking about anything besides how he can be a great teammate, how he can be a great son, how he can be a great brother to his sister and little brother, how he can continue to be a great kid,” Lebron said.
Congratulations on the win Bronny! You have so much love and support behind you!
Photo Courtesy of Mccoy Multimedia