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Duke Basketball: LeBron James’ love for Blue Devils could be beneficial

By Kevin Connelly

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 17: LeBron James #23 of the LA Lakers and Team LeBron warms up before the NBA All-Star game as part of the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend at Spectrum Center on February 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 17: LeBron James #23 of the LA Lakers and Team LeBron warms up before the NBA All-Star game as part of the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend at Spectrum Center on February 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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In recent weeks, LeBron James has been asked about the Duke Basketball team and attend the road victory at Virginia and his love for the Blue Devils could be beneficial in the future.

LeBron James is in the midst of trying to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the playoffs, but two weeks ago during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, James was asked about this year’s Duke Basketball team.

James has been very adamant, throughout his career that Mike Krzyzewski is one of the best, if not the best, coach in basketball history at any level.

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The NBA superstar played for Coach K during his time leading USA Basketball, winning a Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics.

During his media availability, James gave glowing reviews of all the star Duke freshman — Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Tre Jones.

LeBron, along with Rajon Rondo, attended Duke’s victory over the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, and while the narrative could be that James was there to scout Zion, RJ, and Cam, to see if he would want them to join Klutch Sports Group, founded by Rich Paul and the sports agency the represents LeBron, he could have been scouting the team, just in a different way.

That reason being his son, LeBron ‘Bronny’ James Jr, who could be one of the most coveted recruits in the history of college basketball.

Currently attending Crossroads School in Santa Monica, Bronny James is an eighth grade student and still has plenty of time to decide where, and if, he wants to go to college.

The biggest issue in a possible recruitment of Bronny James is that the NBA has submitted a proposal to the NBA Players Association to lower the age limit to enter the NBA Draft from 19-years old to 18.

If the proposal is agreed upon, the new rule would take place starting with the 2022 NBA Draft, and LeBron James Jr., currently 14 years old and an eight grade student, would be eligible to enter the 2023 NBA Draft straight out of high school.

Although not confirmed, one of the biggest rumors regarding the James family is that LeBron James wants to play with or against his son for at least one season in the NBA and conveniently could become an unrestricted free agent after the 2021-22 season, which would leave one year in between for the eldest James to play for a team while Bronny finishes his senior year of high school, should he opt not to go to college.

LeBron James Sr. also said that he one day hopes to attend at game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Recruiting visit? Sounds like it to me.

While LeBron most likely wants to play against his son in the NBA sooner rather than later, he is a father first and you’d assume he would want the best for his son, and if the best for his son is a year of college and being coached by the best basketball coach ever for a year, then so be it.

LeBron James Jr. has already been to Duke and toured Cameron Indoor Stadium and the rest of the basketball facilities with the North Coast Blue Chips AAU team and got some shots up with Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett.

The possibility of all of this coming together is still so far away, but if LeBron James Jr. does want to go to college, his father’s love and trust with Coach K could go a long way in Duke’s hopes of landing the eldest offspring of LeBron James Sr. for the 2023-24 college basketball season.

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