LeBron James got a chance to see both sides of the Bay State on Monday.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar was in Boston ahead of Monday night’s game against the Celtics. It just so happened to work out that James’ son, Bronny, and his Sierra Canyon high school team were scheduled to play in the Hoophall Classic in Springfield on Monday afternoon.
The elder James took advantage of the rare opportunity to see his son play in person, going out to Blake Arena at Springfield College for the 1 p.m. ET tip — roughly six and a half hours before taking on the Celtics.
Unsurprisingly, James’ arrival at the Birthplace of Basketball was met with plenty of hoopla.
.@KingJames has entered Blake Arena ??@HoophallClassic #HHClassic pic.twitter.com/Lu09BU6ozu
— Springfield Student (@TheSpfldStudent) January 20, 2020
.@KingJames is in the building to watch Sierra Canyon ? pic.twitter.com/lc9dfY5KgO
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2020
That Springfield-to-Boston rush-hour traffic on the Pike ain’t no joke, so you might be wondering whether James would be able to get back to the Hub in time for the 7:30 p.m. tip at TD Garden. That would be under the assumption he is a normal person, of course, which he certainly is not. According to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, James’ travel plans are anything but normal.
Told that LeBron will be at Bronny’s Sierra Canyon game out here at Hoophall at 1 and then chopper it back to Boston for the 7:30 pm Lakers game. I will drive 185 mph down the Pike to keep an eye on the story, since the Athletic chopper is still in the shop.
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) January 20, 2020
As for Bronny James, he’s got a pretty bright future. Only a freshman, he comes off the bench for Sierra Canyon, the No. 14 high school team in the country. Right now, he’s considered a point guard, who’s widely tabbed as one of the top recruits in the high school class of 2023.
The younger James might not be the same level of prospect his father was (yet), but he figures to get a whole bunch of college offers. Obviously being the son of LeBron James helps with exposure, but Bronny had a chance to impress Monday with the likes of John Calipari and Roy Williams also in the crowd taking in the action.
Monday’s game, however, was a forgettable contest for Bronny James. He was held scoreless, as No. 13 Paul VI held off Sierra Canyon 70-62.
