With former teammate Rajon Rondo serving as an assistant, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James coached his son Bryce and the Strive For Greatness AAU team at the NIKE EYBL Peach Jam on Wednesday.
The Peach Jam, in North Augusta, S.C., has become the biggest AAU basketball tournament in the past decade. The top high school basketball players gather in South Carolina with their respective AAU teams to play each other in front of college and NBA scouts in the best opportunities most of them will have to showcase their skills against high-level competition.
It isn’t unusual for NBA players to run and/or coach AAU teams – Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Kyle Lowry, Blake Griffin, Will Barton and Jerry Stackhouse among others have dabbled in the fray.
James is the biggest name yet to sponsor a team. He often generates social media buzz for Strive for Greatness, based in Southern California, by appearing at the team’s games to support his sons and offer words of wisdom. On Wednesday, James actually coached the 16U team.
SFG is currently 1-1 in the Peach Jam and plays New Heights Lightning at 10:30 a.m. ET on Friday.
Bryce James, 16, is entering his 11th-grade year at Campbell Hall Day School in Studio City, Calif., after transferring from Sierra Canyon Day School, where his older brother Bronny made his name. Bronny, 18, is headed to USC and is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
While 6-foot, 2-inch Bronny can draw on his father’s skills as a facilitator as a point guard, the 6-foot-6 Bryce is learning how to use his body to be an efficient wing scorer like his 6-foot-9 dad.
Through two games, Bryce is averaging 11.5 ppg in 28.5 mpg.
Bryce is already getting interest from NBA teams such as the Lakers, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Atlanta Hawks, who have sent scouts to watch him play, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Krysten Peek.