Heir Valpo
MBB: The story of the time Valparaiso almost landed Michael Jordan's son
Bronny James - the son of legendary NBA player LeBron James - made news earlier this month when he threw his name in the transfer portal.
The USC freshman averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds while starting a handful of games for the Trojans. James has also thrown his name into the NBA Draft and is thought to be concentrating on a move to the professional ranks over a return to college.
If James were to return to college basketball, he has been linked to a number of programs including Duquesne (coached by LeBron’s former high school teammate Dru Joyce III) and Ohio State (coached by former Valparaiso player and assistant coach Jake Diebler).
The possibility of James joining the Buckeyes could very well be tantalizing for Diebler. The connection to LeBron alone would be huge for any program. Should James go on a recruiting visit to Columbus, Diebler would have some unique first-hand knowledge on what it’s like to be involved in the recruitment for the son of one of the greatest basketball players walking the earth.
When Diebler was a sophomore during the 2006-07 season, the Valparaiso coaching staff pulled out all the stops in the recruitment of Jeffrey Jordan, the son of NBA legend Michael Jordan. The recruitment took on many twists and turns and Valparaiso came close to landing a potential program-changing recruit.
Oh so close.
Roughly 17 years after the recruitment, key figures involved in the process look back on how Valparaiso almost landed Heir Jordan.
