LeBron James never played any college basketball, but he has a strong interest in the game at all levels, including the recent March Madness games that have now yielded two Final Four teams.
On Saturday, the Elite Eight officially tipped off with Illinois taking on Iowa in the first game. The Fighting Illini fought back to take a lead in the second half and ultimately cruised to a 72-59 win to claim their region and earned the first spot of the four available in the Big Dance.
The nightcap brought the No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats to the court as they battled a tough Purdue Boilermakers team from the Big Ten. Arizona trailed early but found its momentum in the second half and got things rolling, en route to a 79-64 victory that gave them the second spot in the Final Four.
Koa Peat scored 20 points in the win, while Ivan Kharchenkov contributed 18. Braden Burries and Jaden Bradley added 14 apiece as the Wildcats continue to look like a solid contender for the National Championship.
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Arizona’s win over Purdue had plenty of fans excited as they’ll now return to the Final Four for the sixth time in school history, hoping to add another championship to their program. One of the fans celebrating the win was proud father, LeBron James, who sent a four-word message on X (formerly Twitter).
“[Cat emoji] DOWN!!!! FINAL [four emoji] BOUND,” he shared in his simple message, also tagging the Wildcats’ men’s basketball X account.
King James’ son, Bryce James, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard and small forward, is currently a member of the Arizona Wildcats roster. Although he chose to redshirt as a freshman, he’s still associated with the squad’s run in the NCAA Tournament and practices with the team.
The Wildcats now await the winner of the Michigan vs. Tennessee game in the Final Four.
LeBron’s other son, Bronny James, attended the University of Southern California for one year, then opted to take his talents to the NBA. He played in 25 games and started six, finishing with averages of 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game.
After becoming a second-round draft pick last year, Bronny has spent time in the G League and also comes off the bench for the Lakers. He and LeBron achieved a historic father-son moment in last night’s win over the Brooklyn Nets when Bronny received an assist from LeBron to knock down a three-pointer.
Following the game, LeBron spoke highly of Bronny’s progress with his basketball skills following a cardiac arrest scare in 2023, and it seems to show how proud he is of his sons following in his footsteps.
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