Bryce James hasn't played for the Wildcats this season, but he's about to experience the NCAA tournament's Final Four for the first time.
That proud father was none other than four-time NBA champion and Lakers superstar LeBron James, whose son Bryce is on. Arizona was truly tested for the first time in the NCAA tournament by the Boilermakers, who led by seven points at the half, the first time the Wildcats had trailed during March Madness.
The gritty Wildcats stormed back, in the second half, turning the water off on the Boilermakers' offense while dictating the pace of play when they had the ball. The end result was a 15-point Arizona win and the program’s first trip to the Final Four in 25 years. In the aftermath of the game, LeBron took to X and posted a celebratory message complete with the Wildcats' battle cry, Bear Down.James, the younger brother of James's first-born son Bronny, committed to Arizona in January 2025. James, a four-star prospect, had also received offers from Ohio State and Duquesne. James was a part of Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd's 2025 recruiting class alongside standout starters Koa Peat and Brayden Burries. But James has not appeared in a game for Arizona this season. After James had not appeared in the first three games of the season, Lloyd explained that the Wildcats were exploring the possibility of James redhsirting his freshman year. Lloyd had considered inserting James into the action towards the end of a Wildcats blowout, but doing so would prevent the Lakers star's son from utilizing a redshirt year.“Bryce has made huge progress,” Lloyd said at the time. “He's been with us through the summer and now ... I have a real strong belief that Bryce will be a contributor at Arizona in the near future. He's really shown a lot of progress, not only learning our system but physically maturing.” It's likely, then, that James will make his collegiate debut in 2026–27. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that he will share an NBA court with his father, as his brother has over the last two seasons.LeBron James currently plays on the Lakers with his eldest son Bronny, but he has made clear that he won’t continue his career only to play with his younger son Bryce, currently a freshman at Arizona. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesGiven Bryce James's uncertain timeline regarding his pro basketball future and LeBron’s acknowledgement that he will be retiring from the NBA “soon,” it seems unlikely. In September, LeBron told reporters that he wouldn't be prolonging his career simply to share the court with Bryce one day.. “I don't know what his timeline is. He's his own young man now. He's down in Tucson. We'll see what happens this year, next year, but he has his own timeline. I've got my timeline. I don't know if they quite match up. We’ll see.” It would be quite an experience to see LeBron share an NBA court with both of his sons. For now, James's younger son will get to experience one of the thrills of college basketball: the Final Four.Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball. Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.
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