People still cannot fathom how LeBron James stayed around long enough to share a court with his eldest son, Bronny, as NBA teammates. Naturally, because LeBron has now signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, fans want to see him also share the hardwood with Bryce. Even though the veteran already dropped a clear verdict about it last year, it’s taken his pal to clear the rumors.

“No. Uh, no,” Channing Frye said on the Road Trippin‘ Show. “I think that is done and done. Three more years? Lord, 45 and playing basketball? Like, he’s playing too much golf right now! I think he got one and a half, maybe? I don’t know right now. Bryce as an NBA player? Maybe he will be in three years, but I don’t know right now. But he’s got to get out there and play and show the world.”

It somewhat echoes what LeBron said when he showed up for his 23rd training camp before last season. Bryce had already enrolled in the University of Arizona, and a reporter asked LeBron about teaming up with him (eventually). Although with a broad smile, the veteran straightaway said, “I’m not waiting on Bryce.”

“I don’t know what his timeline is,” LeBron said. “He’s his own young man now. He’s down in Tucson. We’ll see what happens this year, next year. He has his own timeline, I’ve got my timeline, and I don’t know if they quite match up. We’ll see.”

Bryce did commit to play under Tommy Lloyd in the Wildcats, but the program then announced that he had decided to redshirt his season by February. That’s simply because Arizona had a stacked roster, leaving LeBron’s son with no game time. Lloyd, however, revealed he had a “real strong belief” Bryce would turn into a key contributor in the future and had “really shown a lot of progress.”

In the NCAA, playing a single second of a regular game burns a player’s redshirt status and counts as a full year of eligibility. So, Bryce decided it was better to sit out rather than get minimal time as a backup. With Koa Peat and Brayden Burries making a leap to the pros, Bryce, 6′ 5″, should be able to gain game time now.

Bryce hasn’t spoken to the media much, but in the limited interaction he had with them last year, he said that his father told him to keep “doing what you do best.”

“Just like making sure that even if you’re not having some good days, just always have the ‘stay positive’ mentality,” Bryce said. “So, maybe you miss a shot, you get a turnover, something, don’t hang your head down. Always keep your head up, just push through, just stay positive.”

Now, by Frye’s estimate, Bryce has three years of college ball, and LeBron has two in the league, if not less (his second year is a player option). Even the NBA’s Draft-Room scouting portal lists Bryce in the 2028 draft projections as the earliest. So for now, it does appear unlikely that the NBA’s first father-son trio will happen.

When Bryce committed to Arizona, LeBron clearly said that “it was his decision to make, and he went where he felt comfortable,” yet hilariously added he “got some terrible friends in Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye that are alum there, so not too excited about that, but other than that we’re excited to go be part of the Tucson community.”

In terms of rankings, Bryce is lower-ranked than his elder brother as a three-star prospect by ESPN. Bronny was seen as a four-star recruit. Both the brothers’ games, however, are poles apart. The Lakers star is more of a defense-first point guard, while Bryce is a shooting guard with a slick jumper and strong finishing.

Bryce is about four inches taller than Bronny. He played all four high school years at Sierra Canyon, helping them win the 2025 CIF State Division 1 championship. Bryce also averaged a steady eight points and four rebounds per game as a senior.

LeBron’s younger son played on the Nike EYBL circuit with Strive For Greatness and averaged 6.9 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 36 percent from the three-point line over 14 games in 2024. So, over the years, Bryce, mostly away from the spotlight, has spent time building a strong basketball resume.

It led to him getting a couple of college program offers last year. Alongside Arizona, Duquesne, Ohio State and USC were the other schools that had offered Bryce scholarships. Although not on the season’s official record, Bryce has represented Arizona in some exhibition games. He scored two points and three rebounds against Embry-Riddle and made a sole free-throw against Saint Mary’s.

247Sports’ Adam Finkelstein describes Bryce as “a fundamentally sound player with solid perimeter size and a good early skillset. He possesses clear shooting potential with naturally soft touch, compact release, and the ability to make both threes and pull-ups. His left hand is advanced for his age and he also has a good early understanding of the game. Physically, he has a solid build for an underclassman, but is still just growing into his body a bit and so far from a finished product.”

In fact, back in 2018, LeBron posted a highlight reel of baby Bryce sinking a couple of insane deep threes during a game. “Facts The best shooter in this household for sure! 👌🏾 #FlameThrower🔥,” the veteran proudly wrote on X.

Bryce even attended Team USA’s junior national team camp alongside Carmelo Anthony’s son Kiyan and Gilbert Arenas’ son Alijah.

Coach Lloyd has mostly kept Bryce out of the limelight, even publicly admitting the Arizona program wants to “protect” him.

“We are going to give Bryce the space and opportunity to develop into a young man like everybody else,” Lloyd said. “We also understand there is certain scrutiny that comes with who he is. I think he’s going to develop into a good enough player to play at Arizona. That would be a kick-as* story. That’s a story I want to be part of. I’m not trying to be part of a media circus.”

Bryce’s former Wildcats teammates, Peat and Burries, have also appreciated his approach to the game and his personal character despite the intense competition.

So, yes, Bryce is LeBron’s son, but he is also only a 19-year-old trying to navigate through life. And even though he hasn’t spoken about it, and probably never will, he would’ve learned a lot from Bronny’s experience. His brother basically followed the one-and-done trajectory (one college season), but is now heading into his third NBA season with no guaranteed game time…

On a lighter note, Bryce does hold bragging rights because he is the only member of the James household to be part of a Final Four roster! That’s because LeBron never went to college and Bronny’s USC team missed the NCAA Tournament.