The Overexposure of Zaire Wade and Bronny James

Sierra Canyon School is ranked top 5 in the nation according to most high school scouting services. Like most high school powerhouses, Sierra Canyon’s roster is littered with top 100 talents and future NCAA D1 players. Still, none of their athletes possess the star power or popularity of their newest additions Lebron “Bronny” James Jr and Zaire Wade, sons of future NBA Hall of Famers Lebron James and Dwyane Wade.

ESPN wasted no time capitalizing on their name recognition choosing to air 15 of Sierra Canyon School’s games across the network this season. Washington Wizards point guard Isaiah Thomas tweeted out, “lol they’ve got more than us.” Scalpers are said to be selling front row tickets for upwards of 200 dollars. Celebrities, as well as former and current NBA players, have made the trip to Sierra Canyon’s Athletic Center to see the spectacle.

Sierra Canyon’s games are being recapped regularly and receiving millions of views on popular Youtube basketball channels. Bronny James has over 3 million fans on Instagram. Fans who grew up idolizing Lebron and Dwyane seem just as anxious and curious to see the exploits of their teenage sons.

These aren’t the first sons of superstars to find themselves in the spotlight, but I’m having a hard time remembering a pairing who’ve had to compete beneath such enormous shadows. Being a blue-chip recruit is one thing, following in the footsteps of a revered icon is something entirely different. 

Michael Jordan looked at his two sons during his infamous Hall of Fame speech and said, “You guys have a heavy burden, I wouldn’t want to be you guys if I had to. Lebron James echoed a similar sentiment on the first episode of his HBO series “The Shop,” “I still regret giving my 13-year-old my name because of that”. James and Jordan aren’t just athletes, they’ve transcended sport and become icons in the lexicon of American sports. The expectations for Bronny and Zaire will look and feel dramatically different because of the name on the back of their jerseys.

I saw Michael Jordan’s eldest son Jeffery play live in the Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden in 2007. Everybody had something to say to Jeffery, the comments ranged from reassuring to downright demeaning, each fan seemingly taking turns assigning their feelings of Michael Jordan onto his teenage son. Jeffery wasn’t a blue-chip recruit, there were some in scouting circles who felt he was undeserving of a spot in such a prestigious game and tacked his selection up to nepotism. When Jeffery entered the game, you could see the demeanor of the opposition change, the banter became pointed, the play was more physical. It was as if Michael Jordan himself had decided to don a jersey and lace up a pair of his signature sneakers.

Jeffery Jordan ended up walking onto the University of Illinois basketball team but eventually left the team to focus on life after basketball before returning and then transferring to UCF, where he would again leave for “personal reasons” 13 games into his senior season. Jeffery’s younger brother Marcus found some success at UCF early in his career even, leading the team in scoring as a sophomore before ultimately deciding to leave the team at the beginning of his senior season.

Neither brother played professionally and while both brothers found moderate success on the collegiate level, I’ve often wondered how much of the circus may have hindered their development. 

In this era of connectivity and accessibility, stars are created overnight. Over the past decade, Youtube has helped birth an entire generation of basketball celebrities, teenagers having had their journeys documented, some ball-players are starting as early as middle school. In many cases, the coaches, teachers, and family responsible for nurturing and developing the child fall victim to the hype and become enablers inexplicably contributing to the sycophancy. Bronny James and Zaire Wade, like their fathers before them, are venturing into uncharted territory, receiving the type of media attention and subsequent scrutiny reserved for adults. Fans need to temper their expectations and ease off of the gas.