High School Basketball Recap: Bronny James’ team beats Kiyan Anthony’s, 62-51
On Monday night, the sons of two NBA legends met on the court, with Bronny James and the Sierra Canyon (Calif.) taking on Kiyan Anthony and Christ the King (NY.). For a high school basketball game, it drew some real Hollywood star power. Broadcast on ESPN2, the game naturally drew stars like LeBron James and Scottie Pippen, but Kim Kardashian was also spotted in the crowd.
In the end, the Bronny’s Trailblazers beat Kiyan’s Royals, 62-51. Here’s how the two young players performed and who else stood out.
Bronny James:
Bronny’s biggest highlight of the game was in the first quarter on a breakaway steal and dunk, which brought on a lofty LeBron comparison:
2002 – LeBron James threw down a dunk off a steal against Carmelo Anthony's team to give his team 7 first quarter points on ESPN 2
2022 – Bronny James threw down a dunk off a steal against Kiyan Anthony's team to give his team 7 first quarter points on ESPN 2
basketball is fun pic.twitter.com/0xvb94RcM8
— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) December 13, 2022
This lefty windmill layup late in the third quarter may have been his most impressive play, though.
Bronny James with the acrobatic finish 😱 pic.twitter.com/gWhL4rPQgb
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 13, 2022
Later on, Bronny threw down an alley-oop to ignite the crowd. While Bronny does not look like a natural shooter at this time, he is already a potent finisher on the break and a sharp facilitator.
In the end, James finished with a line of 12 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Other Sierra Canyon standouts:
Justin Pippen (Scottie’s son) flashed some sharp ball-handling and shooting chops. However, shooting guard Isaiah Elohim looked like the best player on the floor as he scored a team-high 17 points. That befits his status as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 prospect in California in the class of 2024. He already has 11 college offers.
Kiyan Anthony:
Anthony didn’t get as much attention compared to Bronny. On the bright side, he’s a much better shooter. His first basket was a catch-and-shoot three from the corner early in the second quarter. His jumper has a quick release and excellent form with tons of range, not unlike Melo’s.
He has a spooky-high ceiling from deep.
Kiyan Anthony with the RANGE😮🎯@kiyananthony @ctkroyals pic.twitter.com/2VQY9Gh8DN
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) December 13, 2022
Anthony finished with eight points, two boards and two assists.
Other Christ the King standouts:
Power forward Qin Pang was superb in the first half. He impressed with his power on cuts and screens; he moved well without the ball and demonstrated a surprisingly soft touch for his size (6-foot-9, 230 pounds). A tough spin robbed him of a three just before halftime. Pang has 11 offers, including Michigan, Oregon and UCLA.
Sierra Canyon is now 7-1 this year. Their next matchup will be visiting LeBron’s alma mater St. Vincent-St. Mary (Ohio) on Saturday. Meanwhile, Christ the King is 2-2 and hosts St. Francis Prep (NY) on Tuesday, Dec. 20.