CHATSWORTH, Calif. — On Dec. 12, 2002, 17-year-old LeBron James, playing for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, dropped 31 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in a 65-45 upset win against Oak Hill Academy, Carmelo Anthony’s former school before joining Syracuse in the fall of 2002. Twenty years to the day, both James and Anthony were watching their sons — Bronny and Bryce James and Kiyan Anthony — play against each other in the Geico High School Basketball Showcase.
“The Legacies Continue To Live On tonight,” James said in an Instagram post ahead of the game. “Wow this is surreal and quite frankly insane!! 21 years later [sic] from when I played vs my brother @carmeloanthony (St-V/Oak Hill) and now this evening our boys are playing against one another! Life is good/beautiful.”
On Monday night, the gym was packed at Sierra Canyon High School outside of Los Angeles to see the matchup between Bronny and Bryce James and Kiyan Anthony. It was back and forth all game, with Sierra Canyon edging out Anthony’s Christ the King High School (N.Y.), 62-51.
“Me and LeBron met 20 years ago, so for us to be here full circle, watching Bronny, Bryce and Kiyan on the court is special and the legacy continues,” Anthony told ESPN’s Malika Andrews at halftime.
James and Anthony did have a chance to square off in February 2002, and the pair put on a show. James went off for 36 points, eight rebounds and six steals, while Anthony had 34 points and 11 rebounds to help earn the 72-66 win.
Sitting courtside on Monday was a slew of basketball royalty and celebrities, including LeBron James’ wife, Savannah; Scottie Pippen and his son, Scotty Pippen Jr.; Kenyon Martin; Lala Anthony; Kim Kardashian and her daughter, North West; Khloe Kardashian; and Rich Paul. It was far from your typical high school basketball game.
It wasn’t just James and Anthony who had sons on the court in the highly anticipated matchup. Scottie Pippen’s son, Justin, and Ashton Hardaway, son of Penny Hardaway, both play for Sierra Canyon as well.
As sophomores playing varsity, Bryce and Kiyan’s minutes were limited, but 6-foot-2 senior Bronny put on a show, finishing with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. He had a steal early in the first quarter and finished with a monster dunk that brought James to his feet. Bronny also caught an alley-oop late in the game that electrified the entire Sierra Canyon bench. Kiyan hit 2-of-4 from 3-point range and finished with eight points.
Leading the way for Sierra Canyon was five-star junior Isaiah Elohim, who finished with 17 points, and Christ the King was led by UCLA commit Brandon Williams, who erupted in the second half with all of his 18 points.
“This was a fun game and a great atmosphere, and I’m glad we came out with the win,” Elohim said after the game.
“It’s a big moment for LeBron and Carmelo, knowing they played 20 years ago and seeing their kids square off is probably special,” Sierra Canyon assistant coach Ed Estavan told Yahoo Sports. “This game is another opportunity for us to play against a top program and see where we’re at as a team. Our goal is to get better every game and every week.”
Kiyan, 15, recently received an offer from Syracuse, where his father won a national championship. It was announced on Monday that Bryce James signed an NIL deal with Klutch Sports, the same agency that represents his father. Bronny is reportedly one of the most valuable high school athletes in the NIL space, worth an estimated $7.5 million dollars, according to On3.
Bronny has kept his recruitment under wraps but took a visit to Ohio State this fall and is seeing interest from Oregon, Memphis, Michigan and USC. The time frame for his decision has not been announced but he is expected to decide late.
Sierra Canyon improved its record to 7-1 and will travel to Ohio to face James’s alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary, on Dec. 17.