Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill and Yahoo Sports NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek discuss how the Sierra Canyon High School senior – and son of Lakers superstar LeBron James – has developed this season and where he could be heading for college.
Video Transcript
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VINCENT GOODWILL: Bronny, it seems to me, just from watching, like, the highlights, it seems like he had like a mature, sort of, game, like, approach to the game. He was like, pass first, getting the passing lanes, play defense, that sort of thing. It seems like, athletically, he’s starting to make a leap. Is that– am I right in that way?
It seems like he’s get the bounce. He’s getting the hops. It didn’t seem like he was a superior athlete before. It seemed like he was a really good basketball player. Now, it seems like the athlete is coming out of him.
KRYSTEN PEEK: Yeah. He’s now doing Eastbay dunks–
VINCENT GOODWILL: Yes.
KRYSTEN PEEK: –in a fast race situation.
VINCENT GOODWILL: Yes.
KRYSTEN PEEK: Are you kidding me? I thought– I was like, where did this Bronny James come from, because he’s always been a great three-point shooter. He’s one of the best on-ball defenders, I think in his senior class. I mean, I don’t think we talk about Bronny’s defense enough.
But in one area– and I told him this summer that I saw him, kind of, elevate his game. And you know, you had to remember, like, Bronny was always in the shadows of other players coming up. When he was a freshman, he played with BJ Boston, Zaire Williams, both in the NBA. Then he was playing with Amari Bailey who is currently at UCLA. You know, so he’s always, kind of, been in the shadow.
And now, he is the guy. He is the guy at Sierra Canyon. This is his team. He’s had about six games where he scored 20 plus points.
And during the summer, I said to him, I said, the biggest improvement that I’ve seen in your game– and mind you I’ve seen Bronny play 50 plus times, like, it’s insane– was his read off the pick and roll as a primary ball handler. And that is something that I know that he’s getting from pops, from his dad, because that is not something– that’s not a skill that you learn at the high school level.
VINCENT GOODWILL: Right.
KRYSTEN PEEK: But when you look at the NBA and LeBron has come out and said, look, I want to play with Bronny. I want to play season with Bronny. So how can I help, me as father, one of the greatest to ever play the game, how can I help my son get there sooner? I’ll teach him how to read the pick and roll.
And when I saw that this summer I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, if his players slipped in, he’s let it fly every time. And I’m like, that is a high level move that not a lot of people are going to recognize. But yeah, he is– he’s kind of turned the corner.
VINCENT GOODWILL: He’s processing the game quicker it seems like.
KRYSTEN PEEK: Yes, 100%. But in terms of like college, I mean, I think he’s taking a visit to Ohio State. I know USC is out because they took one of the top guards in his class. They have Collier. Oregon is still in the mix. And I don’t think Memphis is going to mix any more just with the three guards that they have coming in.
So and then also, well, I was thinking G League. But they’ve got London Johnson coming in. So it’s always about best pick, right? So I don’t know. If I had to guess, I would say either he’s going to go to Ohio State or Oregon.
VINCENT GOODWILL: I mean, both of those are Nike schools, right?
KRYSTEN PEEK: Yeah.
VINCENT GOODWILL: And LeBron has always had this, sort of, you know, playing footsies with Ohio State saying, if I would have went anywhere, I would have went home and everything else. And look, if I’m Bronny James and I’ve lived in Miami and I’ve lived in LA, who the hell says send me to Ohio. Like let’s be perfectly– that’s sentimental for LeBron. I ain’t sentimental for me.
Like Bron, you were born in Ohio. Yeah, and I got away, ’cause we moved. That’s why. Y’all going to send me back? No, I’m going to go somewhere else.
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