Sources: Bronny James, son of LeBron, eyeing visit to Ohio State
Sources have told On3 that Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon four-star combo guard Bronny James, the son of NBA all-star LeBron James, is looking to visit Ohio State. The trip would likely be for the Buckeyes season-opening football game against Notre Dame on September 3rd, multiple sources told On3. Bronny’s trip to Columbus would be his first known college visit.
The visit is not set in stone, and could potentially change. It’s also unclear whether or not this will be an official or unofficial visit.
Sources have also suggested that LeBron himself is also hoping to attend the Buckeyes’ season-opener.
Ohio State has not officially offered Bronny yet, whereas USC and Memphis have. Oregon is also recruiting Bronny, and On3’s Jamie Shaw recently made a prediction for the Ducks to land LeBron’s oldest son.
LeBron’s connection to Ohio State
LeBron is a native of Ohio and attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. Ohio State is the program LeBron grew up around and has even publicly stated had he gone to college, he would’ve gone to Ohio State. LeBron is still a known supporter of the Buckeyes today.
“If I would have had one year of college, I would have ended up down here in Columbus at Ohio State,” James said previously. “No matter where I go in the world, I will always rock Ohio State colors.”
Since 2007, members of the Ohio State basketball team have worn apparel from the Nike LeBron James line. OSU was selected as the first college to wear his apparel.
Bronny was born in Cleveland, during LeBron’s second year with the Cavs. Bronny continued to live in Cleveland until LeBron’s four-year stint with Miami which awarded him his first two NBA championships (back-to-back). By Bronny’s 10th birthday, the James family had returned home to Ohio and LeBron went on to win a ring with the Cavs, ending the city of Cleveland’s 52-year professional sports title drought.
Since 2018, LeBron and his family call Los Angeles home. James won his fourth NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020.
Bronny’s NIL value is worth millions
James has an On3 NIL Valuation of $7.2M, making him the most valuable high school athlete in the name, image, and likeness era. To no surprise, Bronny is the No. 1 player in On3’s NIL 100, which ranks high school and college football and men’s basketball players. The On3 NIL 100 is the first of its kind and the defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes based on projected market valuation.
Bronny James’ massive On3 NIL Valuation is fueled largely by his huge followings on Instagram and TikTok, with a combined following of over 12 million.
Based on his On3 NIL Valuation, one Instagram post from James has a projected value of $89,000. He’s also become one of the youngest athlete entrepreneurs in the world with endorsement deals with companies like PSD Underwear.
Scouting Summary
Bronny James is a sturdy guard, with a strong frame, long arms, and broad shoulders. The 6-2/6-3 guard is a noted defender at the point of attack. He moves his feet well laterally and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Offensively he does not really show blow-by burst in the half-court, but he attacks closeouts well, and he is strong in the paint. James is good in transition, has a little bit of wiggle there, and can get on the rim. He is explosive in straight lines. James needs to tighten his handle in space. One of his biggest areas of improvement is from three, where he has cleaned up his mechanics – especially the release – and gathered his balance. James made 13 threes in six Peach Jam games at a 35 percent clip. He will need to finish better at the rim, especially in traffic. When playing as the primary initiator, he takes care of the ball with a better than 2.5:1 assists to turnover ratio at Peach Jam.