LeBron James' father-son dream is fulfilled, but the shadow looms large on Bronny James

Teammates loved him, consistently praising his humility. Coaches lauded his work ethic.

“He’s been incredible,” former USC assistant Chris Capko said of Bronny earlier in the winter, speaking to the noise that surrounded him. “And I don’t think, you could ask any of us — I don’t want to speak for Coach (Andy Enfield), but none of us would regret taking him again. I think if we could do it all over again, I would still want him in our program, still take him, and that’s a credit to him.”

Still, LeBron James, playing a couple miles up the 110 freeway, wound up as the hottest topic of USC’s season.

A son’s potential

A few days before Bronny announced he was both declaring for the draft and entering the transfer portal, Duquesne announced it was hiring Joyce III as its head coach. Quickly, the young James was tabbed as a potential fit for Duquesne, given his father’s connection.

“I would’ve loved the opportunity to coach him,” Joyce told the Southern California News Group. “He’s a good player. It’s really that simple.”

When asked if contact was made with James in the portal, Joyce said he wouldn’t “dive into all that.”

Initially, James’ decision to push full speed ahead in the draft was met with widespread skepticism, given his freshman year results at USC. He shot 37% from the field and 27% from 3-point range, and even more concerning than the percentages was James’ sheer passivity at times, frequently passing up open looks or driving lanes to swing the ball. From Feb. 17 until March 7, a five-game span, he took a total of one 3-point shot.

James, though, put together a strong performance at the combine in May, showcasing an improved stroke and some off-the-dribble savvy during scrimmages. His IQ and defensive instincts were widely praised in the pre-draft process, and Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley — a family friend of the James’ — praised his ability to stay in front at the point of attack and avoid picks on pick-and-rolls.

“That’s a skill level that you see guys like Davion Mitchell from Sacramento, guys like Jrue Holiday, guys like Marcus Smart, that it’s hard to screen those guys … Bronny could be in that category, with work and time,” Dudley told the Southern California News Group.

The question that’s followed him for months, of course — for his entire life, really — is whether Bronny would be in this position if not for his father. Some, like Dudley, say yes, pointing to his potential as a prospect. The majority of the world says no, engaged in a cultural debate over the merits of nepotism.

None of it matters, anymore. It’s all out of Bronny’s hands, now. His fate has been sealed, this dream that might or might not be his set in stone, his story impossible to unravel from his father’s.

“Now that we’re here, eventually, it’s going to come to a point where the rubber has to meet the road,” Travis said.

“Where, if you are as good as you say you are, you’re going to have to play.”