When you belong to the James blood, basketball runs in your DNA. Bryce James, the youngest son of LeBron James, reached a significant milestone in his budding basketball career with his debut for the University of Arizona. The 18-year-old guard participated in the team’s annual Red-Blue Showcase, marking his first appearance in a Wildcats jersey. On such big days, you expect your closed ones to be around, as it is both a moment of pressure and excitement for any player. Was Bryce lucky?

While such events often draw family members to the arena, the support system for Bryce on his special night presented a contrasting picture. Parents, LeBron and Savannah James, who are otherwise very vocal in their support of their children’s athletic journey, were not present in the stands. The celebrity couple did express differently, but the physical appearance was left to one person to hold down the fort.

Yes, Sadie Johnson, his girlfriend, took to her Instagram Story and uploaded a video from the McKale Center. She captioned the moment with a simple but telling message: “#6❤️💙” besides confirming her physical presence at the venue. The hashtag referenced Bryce’s blue jersey number, while the heart emojis matched the Arizona Wildcats’ team colors. This post served as a public display of her support from the stands during his first college matchup, once again.

While Sadie Johnson was there in person, Bryce’s parents showed their pride from a distance. Both LeBron and Savannah James reposted the same content from the br_hoops Instagram account on their own stories. The original post they shared was captioned, “We got our first look at Bryce James hooping for Arizona,” and featured footage from his debut.

On the court, Bryce made an immediate impact by hitting a three-pointer on the very first possession. He finished the game with 3 points, one assist, and one steal in 18 minutes of play for Team Blue. But it wasn’t just Sadie Johnson who was there to cheer for Bryce.

Uncle Steps Into the Spotlight

In a twist that filled the familial void, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal was a featured guest at the Red-Blue Showcase. The Hall of Famer was there as a special guest and warmly acknowledged his connection to the James family. Speaking to a sideline reporter, Shaq referred to Bryce as his nephew, stating, “Nice to see my nephew, Bryce, out here…”

While Shaq rarely watches college basketball, his presence did add to the glamor of the night. Next, pulling out fun, Shaq playfully promoted his alma mater, saying, “I’ll just come here to do a little after party and then go back to where real basketball is played at LSU.” But despite being a guest, Uncle Shaq was overpowered when it came to attention.

Shaquille O’Neal and Rob Gronkowski’s friendly rivalry just got a new chapter, where the latter dominated the headlines. Months after teasing a fight, the two larger-than-life personalities reunited, this time for a different kind of competition at Arizona’s Red-Blue Showcase.

The pre-game festivities featured a three-point shootout and a slam dunk contest that felt like an inspiration from the NBA All-Star Weekend. Addison Arnold dunk a ‘football’ over Gronk before he stole the spotlight by leaping over a mini Land Rover. Later, he took up his wild side, dressing up as “Rocky Gronkstone,” a Dodgeball-inspired character!

Meanwhile, Shaq stayed out of the contest for good reason (pun intended). Just a day earlier, Shaq admitted he no longer dunks to avoid injuries. Instead, DJ Diesel took center stage after the games, closing the showcase with a headbanging set alongside Mix Master Mike and Lloyd. Before hitting the turntables, though, Shaq made sure to catch Bryce James to fulfill his uncle role.