Bryce James began his final year in High School with a bang. He was pivotal during Sierra Canyon’s 22-point win against the NBA Academy in San Diego yesterday. On his Instagram, LeBron James commended his son for doing a little bit of everything in his team’s brilliant win. After that, Shaquille O’Neal’s youngest daughter, Me’Arah O’Neal, also joined LBJ in shouting out Bryce.
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Bryce nailed three long-range shots during the contest, two from both sides of the Wing and one from the corner.
Apart from that, he also lobbed a sensational off-the-backboard alley-oop pass, which led to a thunderous jam. He also showed his athleticism by throwing down a slam dunk in a fastbreak situation.
SportsCenter posted his highlights on their Instagram handle with the caption, “Bryce James ready for the season to start.”
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Me’Arah shared the post on her Instagram stories to acknowledge Bryce’s big step towards becoming a pro-hooper.
Me'Arah O'Neal shares highlights of Bryce James hooping at San Diego 👀 pic.twitter.com/corZaprIUE
— Ballerz Worldwide (@ballaznba) September 16, 2024
James has improved his position in the class of 2026. Last year, he was seen as a three-star prospect. But the 17-year-old was recently upgraded to a four-star recruit.
But he is still not among the Top-100 prospects for the 2026 NBA Draft, currently looming around the 150 mark. He undoubtedly has a long way to reach his brother Bronny James’ level, who was arguably better than him during his senior year.
During the 2024 Nike Peach Jam, the Strive for Greatness guard put up just 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1 block per game while shooting merely 31.4% from the field and 17.6% from the three-point line.
At the same time, he has shown remarkable shooting mechanics, and since he is two years away from the NBA Draft, he has a lot of time to improve his game.
Amidst these struggles, Bryce has enjoyed a lot of support from both his family and friends. Me’Arah O’Neal has also been cheering him on with full vigor.
This wasn’t the first time Me’Arah O’Neal supported Bryce James
In July 2023, Bryce James teamed up with Carmelo Anthony’s son Kiyan Anthony for the Strive for Greatness squad during the Nike Peach Jam.
Their partnership was successful as the duo helped SFG take down Phenom United 74-68, which had the five-star duo of Darryn Peterson and Jalen Haralson.
Me’Arah O’Neal celebrated the duo’s highlights from the game on her Instagram stories.
While Bryce is in the last year of high-school, Shaq’s daughter is going to begin her college journey during the 2024-25 next season for the Florida Gators.
The 18-year-old was a four-star recruit and ranked 33 among the top 2024 High-School players. The 6’4” Center was also a part of the 2024 All-American McDonald’s game.
