LeBron James, Rajon Rondo coaching Nike Elite youth team

Imagine being 16 years old, warming up for a youth basketball game, then you look up, and LeBron James and Rajon Rondo walk through the door. There are only a few realistic scenarios to cause such an event. You’re either a teammate or opponent of Bryce James, The King’s youngest son. Or you’re dreaming. This is exactly what happened before Bryce’s recent Nike Elite Youth basketball game. Pops and Rondo pulled up to coach Bryce and his Strive For Greatness teammates against the Florida Rebels.

For those who don’t know a ton about or follow the AAU/youth hoops circuits, anytime a team is named the [insert city] Rebels, that team is usually pretty good. It seems ever since the success of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels of the early 1990s, that name has been synonymous with youth teams nationwide. So, of course, the Florida Rebels came to show out, especially after James, and Rondo walked in to coach the opposition.

Undoubtedly, the Rebels used this as motivation and didn’t let two NBA champions coaching the opponent rattle them. That could be intimidating to a crew of teenagers playing against the son of a legend they’ve grown up watching while he watches and barks instructions from the sideline. The Rebels showed no fear coming away with the victory over the James-led squad.

These kids today have no idea how fortunate they are to have such access to pro athletes at such a young age. Some of these kids will go on to play at the highest level of college, and a select few will be good enough to make it to the NBA, like James, and Rondo. But these are the moments they’ll never forget.