JAMES
LeBron
Raymone
(Bronny)

• 1. Early life and career

LeBron Raymone "Bronny" James Jr. is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the USC Trojans. A consensus four-star recruit, James was named a McDonald's All-American as a senior in high school in 2023. He is the eldest child of professional basketball player LeBron James.

Early life and career

James was born on October 6, 2004, in Akron, Ohio, to reigning NBA Rookie of the Year LeBron James, age 19, and his girlfriend Savannah Brinson, age 18. He was raised by both of his parents, who married in 2013. As a child, James played several sports including basketball and soccer, but his father did not allow him to play football or ice hockey because of safety concerns.

By the time he was 10 years old, his highlights from youth basketball games were drawing national attention. During his childhood, James played for the Miami City Ballers with teammates such as Jett Howard and the Houston-based Gulf Coast Blue Chips. In middle school, he competed for the North Coast Blue Chips, a team that included Mikey Williams.

James also played for Old Trail School in Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio, where he attended middle school, and led his team to an Independent School League tournament win. In July 2018, a youth game featuring James was canceled after a fan wearing a Michael Jordan jersey heckled his father and was denied entrance. On August 6, 2018, he enrolled at Crossroads School, a private K–12 school in Santa Monica, California. California state rules prevented him from immediately joining the varsity team because he was in eighth grade. On December 3, 2018, in his first game for the school, James scored 27 points in a 61–48 victory over Culver City Middle School. In April 2019, he made his Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) debut with Strive for Greatness.