‘Jump through a thousand hoops’

Bronny James’ recruitment has been a tough task for some teams interested in his services.

The 6-foot-3 guard, who is the eldest son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, is in his senior year at Sierra Canyon in Southern California, and some coaches are sharing the difficulties of the recruiting process of the 18-year-old.

“I tried to get involved, but you had to jump through a thousand hoops just to get to the mom,” one ACC coach told On3. “You’re not allowed to talk to the kid. You have to schedule a time on Tuesday or Thursday with the publicist just to talk to the mom.”

Another SEC coach added, “Looking back on it, we probably should have tried to get involved. To be honest, I didn’t know how realistic the recruitment would be.”

Bronny has become a celebrity in his own right as the son of the future Hall of Famer, and a skillset on the court that’s made him a top prospect for the class of 2023. He is ranked the No. 38 overall prospect and No. 10 combo guard in On3’s 2023 rankings. He is also the No. 7 player in California.

“Simply put, Bronny is special, and he possesses the same greatness we see from LeBron,” one west coast college assistant said.

Bronny — who was named to the boys’ McDonald’s All-American game on Tuesday as part of the West roster — is still weighing his options.

In response to an L.A. Times report that Bronny’s top three colleges include Ohio State, Oregon, and Southern California, the 18-year-old told On3: “I’m still open, but those are options.”

On Sunday, LeBron James told The Oregonian that Bronny has not necessarily limited his options to those three schools but that they are in a “top five or six.”

“He’s going to make his own decision, but there’s a chance,” he said about the possibility of Bronny suiting up for Oregon. I think Bronny can go to any college he wants to. All I have to do is pick up the phone. If Bronny says he wants to go there, he’s good enough.”

On3 ranked Bronny as the No. 1 NIL-maker at $7.5 million on their top 100 valuation. He has already landed NIL deals with Nike and PSD Underwear, as well as Beats by Dre — for which he stars in a campaign ad alongside James with the tagline “The Chosen One vs. The Chosen Son.”

James has long said he wants to play alongside his son in the NBA. During a Twitter Q&A with fans in May, James said, “That’s the plan! God willing,” when asked if he’s planning to play with Bronny.