Learn About Bronny James

And his unstoppable future NBA high-school squad

I witnessed both the best high-school basketball teams in the state of California and the worst.

It was Sierra Canyon High School, the team of Lebron James’ son Bronny. And, well, Sierra Canyon High School.

Yes, currently ranked № 2 in Southern California rankings (and № 11 in the nation), but some of the things I observed as a spectator would rank them one of the worst in sportsmanship.

The final score on the scoreboard at Paraclete High School read: Visitors: 113, Home 45 — a 68-point margin of victory. A week later, the Trailblazers smashed Campbell by a bludgeoning of 122–45.

Thereare 21 players listed on their roster on Maxpreps.com (allegedly a few were sitting out due to COVID tests), only 10 dressed.

Recipe for success

Sierra Canyon’s rotation was simple. The Trailblazers would run their starting five players for a four- to five-minute span (basically half a quarter), then substitute their fresh-legged second team — which was at virtually the same level as the starters — and continued that pattern throughout the rest of the contest.

That wasn’t the worst part.

They pressed the whole game. Regardless of the score. Regardless of who was in. Regardless of how much time was left in the game. Even with Sierra Canyon racing the century mark on the scoreboard and the lead far north of the 50 point mark, the press continued to be instilled repeatedly.

Um. Sportsmanship?

In a recent article, this team is hailed as the “most popular high school team in the world” and has a reality show produced by LeBron on IMBD entitled: “Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers.”

LeBron’s son isn’t even one of the top players on the team.

The team features the no. 10 recruit in the land in six-foot-five Amari Bailey, who is committed to UCLA and also projected as a top NBA draft. Oh, Bailey didn’t even play versus Paraclete.

Kijani Wright, compared to Paul Milshap, stands 6-foot-9 and is ranked 37th in the nation, and has committed to USC.

Isaiah Elohim is the top recruited sophomore in the nation and has been offered from all the top programs. Junior Mikey Price (6-foot-2) is a four-star, toprecruitscruit, senior Shy Odom (6-foot-6) is being recruited by the “Power Five” conferences, and Ramel Wright, a 6-foot-6 junior, has already committed to Nebraska.

Coached by Andre Chevalier, the gifted and talented team features six players taller than 6-foot-8. Oh, and another NBAer has a kid on the team, former Chicago Bull great Scottie Pippen’s son, 6-foot-2 sophomore Justin Pippen.

It made me wonder how well would this team do in say the Big Sky? The Ohio Valley Conference or, say, the Ivy League? Could they win one of these non-basketball power conferences or at least compete?

Back to sportsmanship. When is it time to call off the press? When you’re up by 20? 30? 40? You get the picture.

Team’s motive?

According to someone with ties to the team, “They do that to keep all the players’ legs fresh, running consistently and knowing how to run the various positions on the court.”

Herman Edwards’ famous quote is “You play to win the game.”

Check. I think that was accomplished back in the first quarter.

Learning from the legend

How about this quote from the Wizard of Westwood and winner of 10 straight NCAA championships John Wooden:

“What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.”

Somehow I can’t envision Wooden’s teams pressing or even owning a 68-point league. Ever.

Examples of great sportsmanship

When I think of examples of great sportsmanship I think of the following stories:

Western Oregon’s Sara Tucholsky blasted a supposed three-run home run but missed first base, then tripped and hurt her leg returning to the base, and lad to crawl to touch first. The shot that cleared the center-field fence was Tucholsky’s first at any level. Central Washington’s first baseman Mallory Holtman and her teammates helped carry Tucholsky around the bases, which eliminated Central Washington from the playoffs.

In the 800 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Botswana’s Nijel Amos accidentally tripped USA’s Isaiah Jewett around the final curb of the race. In an incredible act of sportsmanship, Jewett actually he to his feet and the two finished the race arm in arm.

Z-Man’s best day ever

With the Perkins Middle School (Ohio) Pirates’ eighth-grade football team leading rival Clyde, 20–8 and the clocking running out, the Perkins coach called a timeout and let the Clyde coach in on his plan to let his special-needs student Zacchaeus “Z Man” Gamblin carry the ball.

It was a specially designed play for № 63, and Gamlbin didn’t disappoint, rambling 34 yards for a joyous touchdown for Gamlblin, his teammates, parents, and fans of both teams.

The story of Mikey

Lastly, there was an eighth-grader — Mikey — on Matt Abernathy’s David G. Millen, who had cyberally palisis. Mikey was originally the team manager, but coach Abernathy eventually got him a uniform and gradually started to get him minutes in actual games, and designed special plays. Usually, with only a few minutes left in games, opponents figured out the plan to get Mikey to score, and finally, the dream came true on a short jumper in the game’s regular-season finale.

Much more exciting, memorable, emotional, and a sign of super sportsmanship than observing a team press, embarrassing and beating an opponent by 60-plus points.

Thank you for reading.

Tagging some fellow sports fans: Scot Butwell, Gerald Sturgill, Sam Ochstein, Jameson Steward, Laura McDonnell, MarkfromBoston, Julian Cosky, Scott Younkin, Craig Stanland, Frank Prague, Andy Spears, Harold Zeitung, Susan McCormick Stanicek, Susan McCorkindale, Brian Wright, Charles Water, J.R. Spiers, Michael Dolan, George Blue Kelly, Patrick Oconnell

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