All eyes were on Bronny James at the McDonald's All-American Game and the eldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James let his game do the talking.
While his West team went down 109-106 to the East in a thrilling finish, Bronny showed off his smooth shooting stroke, knocking down five 3-pointers, leaving talent evaluators with plenty to be impressed by.
MORE: Live updates from McDonald's All-American Game - D.J. Wagner wins co-MVP
Bronny's 5-of-8 effort from beyond the arc, tied him for the second-most 3s in McDonald's All-American Game history, alongside JJ Redick (2002), J.R. Smith (2004), Daeuquan Cook (2006), and Frank Jackson (2016).
He fell just one triple shy of the all-time record (6), set by Gerald Green in 2005.
With his father watching on courtside, it didn't take long for Bronny to get the Toyota Center buzzing, checking into the game midway through the first quarter.
Shortly after, he knocked down his first triple of the game, relocating to the corner and hitting all net as LeBron rose to his feet in celebration.
Bronny hits the corner 3 and pops is loving it 🔥 pic.twitter.com/p1wqUiO1pc
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 29, 2023
With just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter, he confidently stepped into a catch-and-shoot triple from NBA range.
BRONNY HEATING UP 👀 pic.twitter.com/6LVD981413
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 29, 2023
His third 3 of the first half was the best of the bunch, faking out his defender with the jab step before using the ball screen to sidestep into his shot off the bounce.
Bronny is FEELING IT from deep in the first half ♨️ #McDonaldsAllAmerican
— ESPN (@espn) March 29, 2023
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/kXNzFVzZUd
He hit two more 3s in the second half to finish with 15 points, capping off his night with this catch-and-shoot triple from the corner to put the West back in front 106-105 with 1:20 remaining in the game.
BRONNY IS FUEGO FROM DOWNTOWN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/muXjYBopfT
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 29, 2023
Widely regarded as one of the pest perimeter defenders in his class, Bronny's combination of athleticism, along with a smooth shooting stroke projects him to be an elite 3 & D talent at the next level.
Twenty years on from LeBron being crowned MVP of the 2003 McDonald's All-American Game, the father-son duo shared a full circle moment postgame.
A full circle moment for LeBron and Bronny 🤝 #McDonaldsAllAmericanGame @SCNext | @KingJames pic.twitter.com/V5oAT2AF0C
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 29, 2023
The West led the contest for most of the night, before a stirring second-half performance from Kentucky commit D.J. Wagner powered the East to victory.
Wagner scored all 19 of his points in the second half, earning co-MVP honors alongside Isaiah Collier (USC commit), who finished with a game-high 25 points.