If Basketball Fails, LeBron James Jr Has a Gaming Contingency Plan
LeBron 'Bronny' James Jr. could go on to be a professional basketball player, or a pro-gamer.| Source: Joe Robbins/Getty Images/AFP
- LeBron ‘Bronny’ James Jr has signed a deal with eSports outfit FaZe Clan.
- The announcement features a highlight reel of FaZe Bronny showcasing his Fortnite and Call of Duty skills.
- The young basketball star joins the likes of Ben Simmons, Meyers Leonard, and JuJu Smith-Schuster at the organization.
If LeBron ‘Bronny’ James Jr fails to follow in his father’s footsteps on the court, the up-and-coming basketball player will have a gaming career to fall back on to.
FaZe Clan announced yesterday that it had secured the 15-year-old high school basketball star’s services . He’ll now be known in gaming circles as FaZe Bronny.
FaZe shared the news on Twitter, posting a highlight reel of James Jr’s showcasing his gaming prowess – or lack of, depending on your assessment of his gaming chops – in popular titles Fortnite and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
It’s unclear how LeBron James Jr will integrate into FaZe Clan’s plans, nor did the announcement specify whether he’s jumping on board as a content creator or dipping into the highly competitive eSports scene.
James Jr streams sporadically on the Amazon-owned Twitch streaming platform to a community of nearly 330,000 followers . It’s conceivable the new association with FaZe will see him up his Twitch game and regale fans with a more sustained streaming schedule moving forward.
LeBron James Jr joins the likes of Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat’s Meyers Leonard, and JuJu Smith-Schuster of the Pittsburgh Steelers on FaZe Clans growing star-studded roster of content creators and eSports professionals.
If LeBron James Jr falls short of a more or less guaranteed NBA career, gaming under the FaZe banner should offer the young sports star a cushioned contingency plan. That career choice may not live up to his celebrated father’s legacy and reputation, but then again, those are some mighty big shoes to fill.
As traditional sports and eSports continue to converge, we’re likely to see more and more potential future stars bridge the gap between them, much like LeBron James Jr.
