LOOK: LeBron James sends message to Malaki Branham after declaring for 2022 NBA draft
Ohio State Buckeyes freshman forward Malaki Branham declared for the 2022 NBA Draft on Friday, ending his time in Columbus after just one season. Support has poured in for the youngster, with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James being one via Twitter.
Branham and James both attended St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron, Ohio. James, of course, did not attend college and opted to go straight to the NBA draft out of high school. However, the four-time NBA champion has always displayed his fandom of the Buckeyes, no matter the sport.
You can check out James’ message to Branham on Twitter below.
Branham was a four-star prospect coming out of St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting services. The now-former Ohio State Buckeyes player was the No. 1 player to come out of the state of Ohio in the 2021 recruiting class.
LeBron James sends message after Branham declares for 2022 draft
Big Ten Freshman of the Year and potential lottery pick, Ohio State’s Malaki Branham, is entering the NBA draft. According to NBA draft expert and ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony, Branham will maintain his college eligibility while trying his hand at the draft.
“Branham is testing the waters for now, but says he will stay in the draft if he receives assurances he’ll be drafted in the first round. He’s currently the No. 16 prospect in the ESPN 100 draft rankings,” wrote Givony via Twitter.
Branham, a native of Akron, finished his freshman campaign with 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and two assists per game. In the Buckeyes’ second-round loss to current Final-Four team Villanova, the freshman did all he could to keep them afloat. Branham scored a game-high 23 points on 10-19 shooting from the field. He also connected on three other Buckeyes seven made three-point shots.