The sons of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are teaming up on the same high school team, but Sierra Canyon has so much more talent beyond that. The Chatsworth, California, school features high-major college basketball recruits throughout the starting lineup, including a pair of sure-fire McDonald’s All-Americans who should be one-and-done NBA Draft picks in 2021.
Sierra Canyon, Bronny James’ stacked high school basketball team, explained
Sierra Canyon’s roster is more than just Bronny James and Zaire Wade.
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Sierra Canyon has won back-to-back CIF State Open Division championships and might have their most talented roster ever for the 2019-2020 season. Freshman guard LeBron James Jr., better known as Bronny, will get most of the attention, but the team also features Zaire Wade, Kentucky commit Brandon ‘B.J.’ Boston, five-star recruit Ziaire Williams, TCU commit Terren Frank, 7’3 junior center Harold Yu, and five-star sophomore guard Amari Bailey.
The Trailblazers started the year as the preseason No. 1 in Los Angeles and ranked No. 8 in USA Today’s Super 25. The team plays a national schedule against some of the best high school programs in the country and is going to be plastered all over ESPN for the next four months. This is everything you need to know about Sierra Canyon basketball.
Bronny James is the biggest name on Sierra Canyon
James was already a household name before he played his first high school basketball game. The oldest son of LeBron James is a freshman on Sierra Canyon’s varsity squad and is coming off the bench to start the year. James’ first bucket at the high school level was a three-pointer.
James is in the class of 2023 and reportedly already has a scholarship offer from Kentucky, as well as interest from Duke, North Carolina, and everyone else. While it’s shameful that class rankings exist before players even reach high school, one service has James ranked as the No. 24 player in his class nationwide.
Bronny is 6’2 now, he’s dunking easily, and his shooting stroke looks good. It’s going to be so much fun to watch him grow up as a person and a player before our eyes.
Zaire Wade’s college offers keep growing
Here’s a fun fact about Z-Wade’s father: as a high school senior, Dwyane Wade was ranked as the No. 5 prospect in Illinois in 2000. His son is similarly under the radar during a high school career that has taken him to Chicago, south Florida, and now Los Angeles.
After spending the spring and summer on Nike’s EYBL circuit, Wade is starting to climb: 247 Sports bumped him up from No. 346 to No. 129 in the senior class. He’s a starter for Sierra Canyon.
Wade holds offers from DePaul, UC Riverside, Rhode Island, and Toledo. The 6’3 guard will likely find himself with more as his senior year progresses.
Sierra Canyon’s roster features these other stars
James and Wade are the two headlining names on the Trailblazers because of their fathers, but they aren’t the best players on the team.
B.J. Boston is a Kentucky commit and ranked as the No. 9 recruit in his class, per ESPN. A long and skinny 6’6 wing, Boston’s frame and instant scoring ability has drawn comparisons to Brandon Ingram. Boston can put up points in a hurry in transition and with his mid-range shooting, but the most exciting thing about his game is how much room it has to grow. Boston is the highest-ranked member of Kentucky’s incoming class and arrived at Sierra Canyon this year from Norcross High School in Georgia.
Ziaire Williams isn’t eligible to play for Sierra Canyon until Dec. 29 as he transfers from Notre Dame in nearby Sherman Oaks. A 6’8 wing with a sweet shooting stroke and boundless athleticism, Williams is one of the best players in America. He is ranked No. 5 in his class by ESPN and holds offers from North Carolina, Duke, Arizona, and everywhere else. He is an effortless scorer who has the makings of a one-and-done top-10 NBA Draft pick, regardless of where he goes to school.
Williams and Boston are superstars, and Sierra Canyon has even more talent after that.
Amari Bailey is a 6’4 shooting guard out of Chicago who ranks as the No. 6 overall player in the 2022 class, per ESPN. Terren Frank has been a staple on Sierra Canyon the last two seasons. The 6’6 wing is the No. 79 player in the senior class and will be attending TCU. There’s also Harold Yu, a 7’3 center from China who helped Sierra Canyon win a title last season, and transfer Shy Odom.
Where is Sierra Canyon located?
Sierra Canyon is located in the Chatsworth neighborhood of northwest Los Angeles.
What’s tuition at Sierra Canyon cost?
Sierra Canyon costs about $37,000 per year.
Who are some other notable basketball players to play for Sierra Canyon?
Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III graduated from Sierra Canyon. Last year’s title-winning team featured current Duke wing Cassius Stanley, Vanderbilt guard Scotty Pippen Jr., and forward K.J. Martin (Kenyon Martin’s son).
As you can tell, Sierra Canyon has this second generation athlete thing locked down. They almost have to, given the tuition.
Who are non-basketball alums?
Kendall and Kylie Jenner both went to Sierra Canyon. So did Willow Smith and the daughter of Jamie Foxx.
How do I watch Sierra Canyon?
Sierra Canyon will play 15 games on ESPN networks this season, though most of those games are streaming only.
Sierra Canyon highlights can be found here
This is from their first game, a blowout win over Montgomery San Diego.
Can I see a Bronny James dunk?
Here’s his first high school dunk for Sierra Canyon:
Sierra Canyon’s schedule for 2019-20 looks like this
Sierra Canyon has eight out-of-state trips on the calendar this year, including a game against St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, the alma mater of LeBron James. The full schedule can be found here.
