Lebron “Bronny” James jr, son of NBA legend Lebron James has been offered a scholarship to play basketball at North Carolina Central University, one of the only HBCUs with a Division 1 basketball team. One can imagine that when it comes to basketball notoriety, there are quite a few perks to being the son of arguably the best player of all time, but just on his own steam, Bronny has more than lived up to the hype.  

Bronny is currently a freshman at Sierra Canyon High School where he plays alongside Zaire Wade, the son of his dad’s former teammate Dwayne Wade. Even though James Jr barely scratched the surface when it comes to developing his game, 247 Sports described the 15-year-old as having “incredible poise for his age,” as well as a bonafide “impressive feel for the game.”

Offering the scholarship is a pretty good basketball move on behalf of LeVelle Moton, the head coach at NCCU, the North Carolina HBCU. While the team has made the NCAA Tournament for three years in a row, they have yet to win. Beyond that, this season they are fighting an uphill battle with only five wins but an uninspiring 10 losses. It’s been well documented that HBCUs can often struggle to get top tier talent to commit to their programs, and Moton is hoping that Bronny’s skill and notoriety can change that. 

Still, while extending the offer is a huge deal in its own right, it’s hard to say whether Bronny will actually attend for a few reasons. The main reason is that both Duke University and University of Kentucky offered Bronny scholarships while he was still in elementary school. 

Most young players won’t take a chance on a school that might not win when they could go to a school with a coach and team that are guaranteed to be competitive year in and year out.

That said, a lot of kids Bronny’s age are good at basketball because it’s simply easier to be better than other players at his age. As Bronny gets older, his game could explode, and at the same time it might peak. The son of Lebron James peaking prematurely seems unlikely, but in a world where even super hyped college players can tank in the pros, it’s uncertain which will happen.