Due to a California state rule, LeBron James Jr., affectionately known as Bronny, is not allowed to play high school varsity basketball this season, his first in Los Angeles, because he is a freshman. Instead, he’s relegated to unleashing unholy terror at the junior varsity level, and he did just that in his debut for Crossroads School.
Bronny, who is still just 14 but looks like a 22-year-old man, dropped 27 points on Monday night on an array of deep bombs, drives and yes, even a soul-crushing dunk. Some of the kids he was playing against look to barely measure over 4-feet tall, but no matter.
You play the competition in front of you, and Bronny paced Crossroads to a 61-48 victory with his proud father in attendance, as the Lakers had a convenient night off for him to check out his son’s high school debut.
You feel for the opposing squad, though, and whoever was tasked pregame with guarding Bronny. Imagine making the JV team as a freshman. You’re hype. This is the beginning of a long and prosperous hoops career. You tell everyone you know. Your parents come through for the first game and bring along every relative you have. All your friends are in the stands, including your crush who you definitely told to come because “hey, girl, watch me drop 30.” You go through warmups, head back to the bench and your coach looks you dead in the eye and says, “Son, you’ve got Bronny.”
So not only does the son of maybe the best NBA player to ever do it drop 27 on your head, but as you trudge back down the floor, that same NBA player, one you likely idolize, is saying something like “TAKE HIS SOUL, BRONNY!” or “HE CAN’T GUARD YOU!” Would you ever play basketball again? Where does your life go from there? How do you even go on?
What a tragedy.
