Bryce James, LeBron James’ second son, announced on New Year’s Day that he will be committing to the Arizona Wildcats as part of the team’s 2025 freshmen class. The 17-year-old made the announcement on his Instagram account. Before committing to Arizona, Bryce also received offers from Ohio State and Duquesne.
Former NBA player Jeff Teague and his crew speculated on his “Club 520 Podcast” whether Bronny James’ younger brother will get playing time in his freshman season. Teague’s co-host Bishop B Henn made the case that Bryce should play even as a freshman, leading to Teague comparing him to former college basketball player Shareef O’Neal.
“I think Bryce is more of a—he’s a cool guy,” Teague said. “I think he’s cool going to school. He might not play a lot. He might play a little bit. He reminds me of Shareef O’Neal. He can hoop, but he was like, ‘Yeah, I’m cool.’”
Teague also compared Bronny and Bryce James, saying that the younger brother is a more distinct player than his older brother. Bronny was a four-star recruit, ranking 20th in the Class of 2023 by ESPN, while Bryce is a three-star recruit, ranked 257th by 247Sports.
“He’s different from Bronny,” Teague said. “Bronny would seem like a—no offense—but he seemed like he was groomed to be an NBA player. Whereas, Bryce is like, I’m the vibe.”
The Club 520 Podcast reacts to Bryce James committing to Arizona pic.twitter.com/pSiX0oZThI
— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) January 2, 2025
Shareef O’Neal, whom Teague compared Bryce James to, spent three unremarkable years in college, unlike most players who tried to make it to the NBA. Shaquille O’Neal’s son suffered a heart condition during his first year in UCLA before moving to LSU—his father’s alma mater—and staying there for two seasons.
Bryce James; big brother Bronny reacts to his Arizona commitment
Bryce James’ college choice made news across the basketball circles, with everyone excited for his future. Among the first to be proud were his father LeBron James and his brother Bronny, who sent a congratulatory message to him via X.
“Congrats Bryce!” Bronny said.
Congrats Bryce! 🎉 🍾 pic.twitter.com/ay8JELhAqu
— Bronny (@BronnyJamesJr) January 1, 2025
When Bronny James played for USC last season, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 25 games. He spent the earlier part of his college career recovering from a cardiac arrest he suffered during a practice session.
Fast forward to now, Bronny is currently in his rookie season in the NBA, spending his time both with his father in the Los Angeles Lakers as well as their G-League counterpart, the South Bay Lakers. It hasn’t been a year since he last played at USC, and now his brother is on his way to college.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
