The NCAA Tournament has arrived, and while the NBA season is nearing a crucial stretch with just over 10 games remaining in the regular season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will certainly be tuned in to all the chaos that comes with March Madness.
This year, he seems to have an even stronger personal connection, as the tournament features four teams from his home state of Ohio - including one from his exact hometown, the Akron Zips.
However, it seems James is rooting for another team: the No. 1–seeded Arizona Wildcats, who have his true freshman son, Bryce, on the roster, despite him redshirting this season under Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd.
“To have our kid be able to experience that, to see the joy on his face and the happiness he has being there at Arizona, learning from a lot of the vets and learning from some of the guys that he came into class with,” James said after the Lakers’ win on Monday night. “I think it’s a great experience and it’s going to pay dividends for him going into next year. But he’s just living in the moment.
“None of you guys know Bryce. He’s literally just like me … I’m like him,” he added. “I’m a big [expletive] Bryce. That’s what I am. You know, to see the success they’re having … of course, I don’t have a choice but to root for Arizona. I mean, my son’s there. So I'm definitely rooting for them in the tournament, and we’ll see what happens.”
Bryce’s collegiate journey is just getting started, but he's been right there for Arizona's run and was at the forefront of the team's celebration after winning the Big 12 Championship Game over the weekend.
His time to emerge in Coach Lloyd's rotation is on the horizon, and he's taking a different path than his dad and older brother, Bronny, carving out a unique journey of his own.
LeBron came straight out of high school from St. Vincent–St. Mary's, Bronny spent one season at USC before declaring for the draft, and as of now, Bryce appears set to stay in Tucson, still aiming to be part of a championship team - something the University of Arizona hasn't achieved since 1997.
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