Why Bronny James needs to come to Kansas
Last week, LeBron James signed an extension with the Lakers that takes him through the 2023-24 NBA season, with a player option for one more after that. For NBA fans, this felt like a formality, as LeBron is partly responsible for the current incarnation of the Lakers project. The big money is kind of beside the point. LBJ will likely break the all-time scoring record next year, and he will do it as a Laker.
However, I was surprised by the news, because if what LeBron says is true, he will go wherever LeBron “Bronny” James Jr is playing when/if Bronny debuts in the NBA. I’m not here to debate Bronny’s status as a prospect—he’s going to be fine at the D-1 level if that’s where he winds up—but the timing stipulated by LeBron Sr.’s extension suggests that he’s not planning on Bronny being in the NBA before 2024-25, at the earliest. Bronny is class of ‘23, and this means he will be spending a year elsewhere before an NBA career, as the age limit is still 19.
I had assumed that, by the time LeBron James Jr. was out of high school, the league’s age restriction would be changed to herald his entrance. That always felt like a rough deadline. LeBron has a lot of sway, and father and son playing together in a league as competitive as the NBA is an all-time story.
However, the league hasn’t taken any definitive action on changing the age limit to 18, although Adam Silver is in favor of this. That adjustment won’t come until the next CBA is agreed upon, which is scheduled to take place before the 2023-24 NBA season. None of this timing from the James family seems accidental.
So how could Kansas benefit? This is what you come here to read.
Bronny seems to be a good candidate for the NBA’s Ignite program, but with the NIL in full effect, I can’t see the James family being able to resist the NCAA’s marketing machine while Bronny is making bank. (You KNOW he will make bank, much more bank than the Ignite can offer). LeBron is close with Coach K (groan) but Coach K is no longer the coach at Duke. UCLA is the odds-on favorite to land Bronny, and the James footprint in Hollywood is huge. Oregon is in the mix because of Phil Knight. Calipari has been in LeBron’s ear forever. I could see all of these teams landing him.
However… do I really think Bronny going to play for Mick Cronin, Dana Altman or Jon Scheyer? These are not the marquee coaching names that LeBron tends to associate with. Kansas is 12/1 (lol at making these odds!) but I have to think our chances are a lot higher, thanks to Bill Self’s sky-high status in the sport. The NCAA smoke will clear eventually, and Kansas will once again become a no-brainer destination for the country’s most elite prep players. No, I’m not biased at all!
KU is combo guard U, and that position seems like the slot Bronny will fill at the D-1 level. He’s 6’2’’ and there are concerns about his ability to shoot the ball. For whatever reason, I’m not worried at all by this—the kid’s going to be working out with the top players and trainers in the world every summer. He’s crafty and can get to the rack, which is a skillset that Bill Self’s system has always rewarded.
The spotlight is on KU right now, thanks to the natty. We’ve already earned some airtime with viral young hoopers like Mikey Williams, maybe one of the only people in the world that can understand the social media fame that Bronny is dealing with. (Mikey and Bronny are in the same class). Imagine how the NIL cash would flow if we suddenly got Mikey and Bronny and their 10M combined IG followers with their eyes on the program. Come on!
This video… lol. THE ROC IS IN THE BUILDING!
Bronny’s connections to other programs all make sense on paper. However, they’re not surprising. Bronny going to UCLA or Oregon feels is 💤. Kansas would be unexpected and SEXY—we’re basking in the natty glow, we have the best and most special arena in the sport, and we have the FREAKING RULES OF BASKETBALL in the lobby. The James family could be part of that lineage, while also re-establishing the family in the Midwest.
Bronny needs to come to Kansas. His class ranking is somewhere in the 30s, depending on where you look, which is Bill Self’s sweet spot. Bronny wants to get better, and development is a priority at KU, as evidenced by Self’s ability to turn a group of KC AAU bench guys into a title team.
It’s crazy how obvious this feels to me. Once again, I am not biased at all. If anyone can get the James family’s eyes on this newsletter post, I would really appreciate it.