Ever heard the phrase “Good things end so that better things can began”? If not, then you certainly must have experienced it, with a new chapter in your life bringing new opportunities to explore, and new memories to create. Bryce James, the middle child and youngest son of LeBron James, is about to explore just that. He is bidding adieu to his tenure at high school and heading off to college. For the people at Sierra Canyon High School, the son of one of the greatest basketball players in modern NBA, laying the foundation of his own basketball career there meant a lot. The school certainly made that fact known through a recent tribute.

The official Instagram account of Sierra Canyon Boys Basketball recently published a post. It highlighted several pictures of Bryce’s iconic on-court moments during school games. From dunking by grabbing the rim with both hands and shooting far away from the rim, to wearing his Hoophall Classic MVP medal and preparing to make a play while LeBron and Savannah looked on, the pictures highlighted that it wasn’t just Bryce’s last name that was solely responsible for giving him credibility.

The caption alongside the pictures carried an official message from the team, which carried nothing but support for the 17-year-old’s next chapter. “Our next senior tribute goes out to @_justbryce You have been with our program for 4 years and each year you improved in a different aspect of your game. You have always been the ultimate teammate during your time with us” said the caption. “It was so fun to watch you have great moments in our biggest games this season. We wish you the best in your next chapter @arizonambb Thanks for helping add to our legacy, CHAMP! #sierracanyon #bet #linkedbythelegacy⛓.” It was definitely a great season for them.

Bryce James was at Sierra Canyon High School from the start. Later, however, he transferred to Campbell Hall School ahead of his junior year. Campbell is known for carrying a hefty tuition fee of around $47,780 a year, with the private institution being 19 miles from Sierra Canyon, and having boasted an impressive list of celebrity alums like Dakota and Elle Fanning, along with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

However, his journey there was short-lived as, only a few summertime months later, he announced he would be changing his transfer decision to Notre Dame High School. 3 months later, on November 2023, Bryce transferred back to Sierra Canyon. I guess there is no place like the one you were with since the start, right?

The complete information about Bryce James’s stats in his 4 years of high school is not readily available. However, during his senior year, he caught the eyes of people after playing in the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, ‘Strive for Greatness’, and averaged 6.9 points per game along with 2.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 39% from the field. Bryce reportedly scored 21 points and 6 rebounds against eventual Peach Jam champions Nightrydas Elite. His on-court prowess showed those LeGenes doing their work, and helping Sierra Canyon make a mark in the high-school tournaments.

Now, it is time for Bryce to soon help another team make a mark in the NCAA. Having announced his intention to attend the University of Arizona on New Year’s Day, the young star officially signed with the Arizona Wildcats back in April. During his upcoming NCAA season, Bryce will surely remember the lessons he learned from Sierra Canyon. The same school that, if it was only up to LeBron and Savannah, would not have even had Bryce for so long.

LeBron James was proud of Bryce James for standing firm on the decision to return to Sierra Canyon

Bryce James’ tenure at Sierra Canyon wasn’t always a good one. Unlike Bronny, his elder brother, the 17-year-old was described to be less of a prominent athlete. His minutes fluctuated with the team. Moreover, they felt that he wouldn’t get a platform to truly shine at the school. In light of this, LeBron James and his wife, Savannah, made a “parenting” call. That, indeed, led to Bryce’s transfer to Campbell High School before his junior year. Despite that, we now know that Bryce eventually returned to Sierra Canyon. So, what happened?

LeBron James went into detail about the same during an episode of his ‘Mind the Game’ podcast. He revealed that Bryce expressed his dissatisfaction to both him and Savannah. He stated, “Because of parenting, because of some things that were happening at the school that we didn’t like. We kind of made him transfer in the summertime. He wanted to stay. And then ultimately he came to us and said he was not happy with the places that we sent him to. He ended up going back. Now this is his senior year, and basically he spent all four years at the same high school too.” He indeed followed his gut feeling.

LeBron James revealed not being too upset about his son’s decision to return to the team that was playing him fewer minutes. He was proud. After all, Bryce decided to stick true to his roots. As reported, Bryce James didn’t feature as much even after he returned. However, his loyalty and resolve assured James of their son’s true nature.

“You’re not like running away from adversity. You know, even though things might not be going your way you able to say f— it man like okay. I’m here. I’ve laid the groundwork, and okay yeah, it’s not going well for me here. But this is not even the real world. What if it doesn’t work out for me in the real world. I can’t just pack up and just leave, you know. I have to be able to stick through it and work through it,” said the Lakers star. That’s a brave thing to commit.

If Bryce James is looking to enter the NBA, then he has to make the best use of his time with the Arizona Wildcats. Who knows, if he ends up leaving a lasting legacy, maybe the University will honor him, too. And that might be with a social media post when his time comes.