When can Bronny James join the NBA? A tentative timeline for LeBron James' oldest son to join the big boys

LeBron "Bronny" James Jr. with his father, LeBron James

LeBron James played against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday and one of his opponents was Ziaire Williams. The 20-year-old player from Stanford is a former high school teammate of James' son, Bronny James. Now everyone is eager to know when LeBron "Bronny" James Jr. himself will make his NBA debut.

King James admitted to "having a moment" when he saw Ziaire Williams sharing the floor with him. He spoke about it after the game, saying,

"I looked at Ziaire a couple times, and I was just shaking my head inside...Just remembering really a year and a half ago, two years, not even full two years, he was hitting a game-winner to send them to the state championship alongside my son."

"One year at Stanford and now [Williams is] here. It’s a weird dynamic for myself to see something like that but happy for the kid obviously...I had a moment for sure."

LeBron James has been quite vocal about his son's basketball skills and maintained that he will someday want to play alongside or against him in the NBA. Understandably, Bronny James came into the spotlight at a tender age. If you're the son of one of the greatest basketball players of all time, you are certainly going to draw attention.

Bronny James was an excellent player as a 10-year-old playing for his middle school in Ohio, Old Trail School. He led them to an independent School League Tournament win and his highlights drew the attention of the entire nation.

Bronny James, now 17 years old, plays for Sierra Canyon High School.

When can LeBron James' son, Bronny make his NBA debut?

Bronny James with the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers

Bronny James is 17 years old and his father, LeBron James, was 18 when he was drafted by the NBA in 2003. We don't have to wait too long before seeing James Jr. in action. Bronny received college scholarship offers at the age of 10 so receiving one now shouldn't be an issue for the high school player.

Back in 2015, CBS Detroit's Mike Sullivan reported on LeBron James and his thoughts on his son, Bronny James, receiving college offers. James said at the time,

"Yeah, he’s already got some offers from colleges, it’s pretty crazy. It should be a violation, you shouldn’t be recruiting 10-year-old kids."

It is safe to say Bronny James is extremely talented and is looking to make his NBA debut soon. He is rated a four-star recruit as of today by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN. He was ranked the 27th best high school player in the nation in August 2021 by 247Sports.

Bill Landis of The Athletic reported on Bronny James and his scouting report, saying,

"He’s similar to his dad with his apparent calmness in overwhelming moments and in his ability to facilitate, but he’s totally different physically. Where LeBron is a bruising point forward who can realistically play five positions, Bronny is a slighter 6-foot-2 guard who keeps his game mostly resigned to the perimeter. There’s a smoothness to Bronny’s game that suggests he could be an alpha if you need him to be."

LeBron James Jr. is set to graduate from high school in 2023 but as of the NBA's current rules, he is not eligible to play in the league. However, as reported by Glenn Valencich of 7News, the NBA is working towards removing the "one-and-done" rule that forces players to play at least one year of college basketball.

The commissioner expressed that the earliest the rule change can take place is 2022 so if it does indeed happen, LeBron James can play with his son in 2023.

Looking at current trends, it looks like Bronny James is set to make his NBA appearance in 2023 or 2024.

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Bronny James's career with the USC Trojans

In early July, Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest during a USC team practice. He was immediately taken to the hospital and underwent surgery. Since then, Bronny has seemed to have made a full recovery and intends to play in the college season opener against Kansas State.

However, he has to clear a medical examination in order to be able to take part in team practices and play games this season. Heading into 2024, Bronny will be playing his first year in college and if his draft stock is high enough, will announce for the NBA Draft.

Bronny James was projected to go as the 35th pick in the 2024 draft but since his health issues, he dropped down to the 43rd pick, as per the official NBA Mock Draft.