A ferocious dunk is thrown down by the leader of the pack. It was 0: 30.
Less than a minute into Monday's nationally televised event, Bronny James put the ball behind his head and went to the hoop for a fast break dunk.
The throwdown was a nod to how his father first burst onto the scene with his signature dunk. It was 20 years ago on Monday that the elder James made his television debut.
James' St.Vincent-St. was established. James scored 31 points in Mary's 65-45 win over Oak Hill Academy, which was ranked first in the country at the time.
There was a display of the next generation of basketball players.
The younger James led the 25th-ranked Mustangs to a minor upset of the 22nd-ranked Royals by a score of 62-51, finishing with 12 points, six rebound, three assists and two steals. Kiyan, a sophomore guard on Christ the King, scored 8 points.
Both of their fathers were future Hall of Famers. James was a blur in the open court, finishing an alley-oops pass with a two-handed dunk in the second half and making his presence felt on defense all night. Anthony made a smooth jump shot and connected on two wing 3-pointers.
Sierra Canyon was led by a junior guard.
James hasn't decided on his basketball future. While his father was the presumptive No. 1 pick from the time he was a junior, he will choose between a slew of NCAA scholarship offers or perhaps the G League for his next step.
Signing name, image and likeness deals with Nike and Beats by Dre has made Bronny a household name even without a path to the league. The scrutiny his father received for relatively small potato opportunities to drive a Hummer and receive uniforms in his high school days is much different now.
The growth of high school basketball can be traced to the game against St.Vincent-St. Mary has been around for a long time.
Smith said that it pushed high school basketball. Everyone has to see him. I don't know how many people watched it, but I know it was one of the most watched high school games of all time because of his name.
The name comes with a lot of expectations but also attention.
The gymnasium at Sierra Canyon was filled with stars on Monday. Scottie Pippen was in attendance for his son.
Kobe Bryant's oldest daughter, Natalia, radio host Big Boy, and former NBA players Nick Young and John Lucas III were among the courtside guests.
Monday was a reminder of how close their fathers are to the end of their careers.
The elder James and Anthony were teammates on the Lakers last season, but Anthony is still a free agent.
Anthony said on the game broadcast that he loved the game. There are a lot of things that aren't in my control. I accept that and I can just sit back and let it happen. I'm happy with that.
I'm good. My kids are watching me. I get to spend time with my son and train him. These are the things I haven't been able to do in a long time. I can now be the father I need to be. I'm cool, you know what I mean. I love the game and I'm still in the gym every day. It is not something I am pressing about if the opportunity presents itself.
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