LeBron James and daughter Zhuri get in workout while watching ‘The Godfather’

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was already back in the gym on Friday and his daughter Zhuri, watching one of his favorite movies.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been away from the basketball court for less than a week after winning the 2020 NBA Championship and he’s already back in the gym. He also has a new workout partner, who has been a popular presence on his Instagram Story after returning home from the bubble: his daughter Zhuri. LeBron was also watching one of favorite movies while getting the workout in, The Godfather.

James shared the workout scene with his daughter on Friday afternoon. James had the movie on while also listening to Benny The Butcher’s new album, “Burden of Proof,” which just released on Friday.

LeBron continuing to put in the work only a few days after winning the championship also shows why the Lakers are still considered the championship favorites for the 2021 NBA Championship. Although there will likely be some turnover, there’s a very real chance the Lakers come back even better in their quest to defend the title.

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LeBron James spends first full day back home with daughter Zhuri

LeBron James enjoyed some quality father-daughter time with his daughter Zhuri on Tuesday.

After over three months inside the Disney World bubble, where he won his 4th NBA Championship, LeBron James is finally back home with his family. And in his first full day back at the James family home, he spent much of his time, at least time he shared on social media, with his daughter Zhuri while she had breaks between classes.

James was excited to be home and was very excited to show off Zhuri’s playhouse in the backyard of the James house, which honestly looks like a tiny home created on something like “Tiny House Nation.” LeBron gave us a tour of his daughter Zhuri’s little house, which also involved LeBron getting the floor a little dirty.

In addition to going to school virtually like most kids in the country right now, Zhuri has also been busy as the host of the Harlem Fashion Row show.

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LeBron accomplished his goal of winning a championship, but he’s absolutely happy to be home and no longer be in the bubble.

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Bronny James debuts at No. 30 in 247Sports’ 2023 Top 50 rankings

Bronny James is ranked 30th in 247Sports’ initial class of 2023 top 50 rankings, which were released on Wednesday.

Bronny James is one of the most recognizable names in the class of 2023, but he still has plenty of work to do to ascend to the top of 247Sports’ rankings.

247Sports released its initial class of 2023 top 50 rankings on Wednesday, with James coming in at No. 30. He is also the No. 4 combo guard in his class. DaJuan Wagner Jr., son of former NBA player DaJuan Wagner, claimed the top overall spot in the rankings.

“Athletically, James is impressive, and he’s continued to become more athletic over the last year,” 247Sports’ Evan Daniels said in James’ scouting report. “Where he impresses the most is with his feel for the game, vision and passing. While he’s projecting as an off guard/combo for now, the passing ability makes you wonder if he could eventually slide over to full-time point guard with development.

“James is also an impressive shooter with good shot mechanics. He’s comfortable pulling up for one- and two-dribble pull-ups, and has a lot of potential as a long-range shooter. It’s still early in the process, and ultimately his upside will be determined by his physical and skill growth.”

James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James, has garnered plenty of attention early in his basketball career. Not only does the spotlight shine on him because of his father, but he also plays at Sierra Canyon where, in 2019-20, he played alongside Kentucky recruit BJ Boston, Stanford recruit Ziaire Williams, and Zaire Wade, son of former NBA star Dwayne Wade.

James appeared for 34 games in Sierra Canyon as a freshman, averaging 4.1 points in 15 minutes per game. In December, James scored 15 points and earned game MVP honors after hitting a game-winning layup late in the game against his father’s alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary high school. ESPN aired 15 of Sierra Canyon’s games during James’ first high school season.

Unlike his father, James might not have the option of bypassing college and going straight to the NBA. Duke is the favorite to secure a commitment from James, as his 247Sports’ Crystal Ball currently reads 100% in favor of the Blue Devils.

LeBron James buys new Beverly Hills estate for $36 million per report

LeBron James and his family appear to be moving on from Brentwood and into Beverly Hills, per a new report from TMZ.

The James Estate has a nice ring to it. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James hasn’t been home in L.A. for over three months now since leaving with his team for the NBA Bubble at Disney World. However, whenever he does get home, “home,” will mean something different and probably something a little bit better.

TMZ reported on Wednesday, just a few hours before the NBA Finals, that James has officially closed on a new home in Beverly Hills that was previously owned by the creator of the soap opera “The Young and The Restless,” Lee Phillip Bell, for a price of $36 million. The Real Deal, which reports on L.A. Real Estate, reported that the previously listed price on the home was $39 million when initially reporting his interest on the Beverly Hills estate. It’s pretty fitting that the star of the “Real Lakers of Los Angeles” is taking over the home of a soap opera legend.

James has been busy leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals over the past few months, but whenever he does return to L.A., he will have an upgrade with his new digs.

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Son of NBA player ranked No. 1 … and it isn’t Bronny

DaJuan Wagner Jr. is the top-rated recruit for the Class of 2023.

The list of top recruits for the Class of 2023 has been released by 247sports.com. A son of an NBA player is in the top spot and it isn’t Bronny James, son of LeBron.

The No. 1 recruit per the list is Camden (NJ) High’s DaJuan Wagner Jr,, a 6-foot-3 point guard.

Per 247sports:

As the No. 1 prospect in the class, Wagner Jr. appears to be in the mix to make it three generations of McDonald’s All-Americans in one family, which would be a first.

Wagner’s high school coach is Rick Brunson, who was a McDonald’s All-American in his own right, is also the father of Jalen Brunson who was a McDonald’s All-American that starred at Villanova and is now in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks.

Wagner’s grandfather, Milt, as well as his dad, Dajuan, played in the NBA.

Bronny, who plays for Sierra Canyon, is in the 30 slot.

 

 

Recruiting analyst believes Bronny James ‘at least top-25’ in his class

The eldest son of LeBron James, Bronny James, is projected to be one of the best players in his high school class in the nation.

Bronny James and several other young basketball players were unable to do their typical summer routine this year, with the pandemic greatly limiting the number of tournaments and summer basketball available. But even though his high school team was unable to finish the season and he was held out of playing this summer on the AAU circuit, Bronny is still regarded as one of the best players in his class.

The latest to publish their belief in Bronny’s future as a basketball prospect was Rivals.com analyst Eric Bossi, who answered a question about Bronny’s ranking in his class, saying he believes he’s at least a top-25 player in the class of 2023.

Bronny is a kid who we did get to see quite a bit during his freshman season playing for a loaded Sierra Canyon program. He’s a nice athlete, shows potential as a jump shooter and is an alert passer. Obviously, his bloodlines are incredible. He would have to rank in at least the top 25 or so to start off with.

Bronny is the biggest name in his class, but he also has the game to go with it. And at only 15, he has plenty of improvement to make that can help him grow even more over the course of his high school career.

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LeBron says kids didn’t come to bubble because ‘there’s nothing to do’

LeBron James is joined by his wife Savannah but he doesn’t plan on having his kids join him because it’s not a very kid-friendly place.

No matter how long the Los Angeles Lakers playoff run lasts inside the Disney World bubble, LeBron James doesn’t anticipate seeing his children until it’s all over.

LeBron and the Lakers got back on track in their best-of-seven series against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night, evening their series at 1-1. LeBron has been joined by his wife Savannah in the bubble now that families are allowed to join, but he said that he doesn’t expect to see his family inside the NBA bubble on Lake Buena Vista. The reason? The NBA Bubble isn’t a very kid-friendly environment, with very little for his kids to do.

Although the Lakers are on the property of Walt Disney World, they are not allowed to go to the theme park and they have a selection of recreation opportunities, such as golfing and fishing, which have already been exhausted by the players after the first month. With his children ranging in ages 14 to five, they would likely be much more comfortable at home than in a hotel room for an indeterminate amount of time.

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LeBron James says ‘it’s a blessing’ to have wife Savannah in bubble

LeBron James is being joined by his wife but his kids and his mother remain outside of the NBA Bubble.

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NBA players inside the bubble had to wait for nearly two months before they would have an opportunity to see their families or other select guests. LeBron James is one of many players who has taken advantage of the opportunity, but the only family member he has visiting him right now is his wife, Savannah, which is something he is very thankful for.

James talked about what it means to him to be able to have his wife with him inside the bubble, but he did say that his children and his mother are both at their respective homes and not currently in the bubble.

Given the pandemic and school starting up again, there could be a variety of reasons for why the whole family isn’t there. Players are also limited to the number of guests they can have right now, but the restrictions will change as the playoffs continue.

However, coaches have been left out of this. Nuggets coach Mike Malone called attention to the fact that coaches aren’t allowed family guests, which LeBron James agreed is not right on the NBA’s part.

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Sixers star Ben Simmons, Bronny James Jr. join FaZe gaming clan

Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons and LeBron James’ son Bronny James Jr. are joining the FaZe clan.

Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons was not able to join his teammates in the NBA Playoffs after he had to undergo surgery on his left knee. However, during his downtime and now that it is the offseason, he is having some fun with the other hobby that he loves.

Simmons is joining the popular esports organization, the FaZe Clan. Simmons is a guy who definitely enjoys his video games whether it’s Call of Duty or FIFA, or whatever. He definitely will make time for it so why not do it competitively?

Not only that, but the Sixers superstar are also being joined by LeBron James’ son, Bronny James Jr.

During the time away when the NBA was in the middle of a league hiatus, Simmons and James Jr. joined a lot of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare tournaments hosted by SLAM magazine so this is not surprising. It will be interesting to see if Simmons can grow his stardom off the floor and now that he is joined by James Jr., it will be one of the more star-studded groups in esports. [lawrence-related id=31372,28872,28458]

Bronny James joins FaZe Clan as an e-sports athlete

Bronny James has NBA aspirations but he’s already going professional as a gamer, joining the lauded FaZe Clan.

Much like everything these days, the landscape for young athletes is changing rapidly. With California passing a bill last year to effectively change amateurism and let school-aged athletes profit off of their name and likeness, Bronny James is in prime position to take advantage of such rules. It looks like, at least in terms of the world of e-sports, Bronny already is.

On Sunday, the professional e-sports organization and team FaZe Clan announced they had added Bronny James to their already elite roster of e-sports athletes. Bronny is far from the first hooper to join them, but he’s the first one who is still in high school to join them, joining NBAers Ben Simmons and Meyers Leonard as members of the FaZe Clan.

Bronny has gone head to head against elite gamers quite a bit, particularly during the early days of the pandemic. He competed in a Call of Duty tournament presented by SLAM Magazine, which featured pros form the NBA and e-sports.

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