Bronny James has decided to wear No. 9 for the Los Angeles Lakers and he has done so to honor the late rapper Juice WRLD. During his introductory press conference, James revealed how Juice had helped him when he found himself in difficult situations.
“Juice has just been a big part of me keeping calm in some situations that I’ve been through,” James said. “So yeah, just paying homage to him, especially because he passed, is a really important thing for me.”
Bronny explains why he picked No. 9 to honor Juice WRLD 🙏 https://t.co/RoCGmO0mPd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 2, 2024
Juice passed away at the age of just 21 on Dec. 8, 2019, due to an accidental overdose, but he managed to leave his mark on the world in that short time. As for why James is honoring him with that number, well 999 held a special significance to the rapper. Juice had a “999” tattoo and explained what it meant during an interview on MTV.
“If you’re a person that believes in anything that has to do with the Bible, I think in the last book of the Bible, it say that 666 is the mark of the beast, right? And that’s Satan,” Juice said. “… 999 represents taking whatever ill, whatever bad situation, whatever struggle you’re going through and turning it into something positive to push yourself forward.”
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That message certainly resonated with James. In 2022, he had “999” tattooed on his neck behind his ear. The 19-year-old’s Instagram bio also has “999 LLJW” in it, which stands for “Long Live Juice WRLD.” You just wish Juice was still alive today, to see the impact that he has had, not just on Bronny, but millions around the world.
James, who wore No. 6 in his lone season at USC and No. 0 at Sierra Canyon, will first step out on the court wearing No. 9 in the Summer League. Both he and fellow rookie Dalton Knecht have been announced as part of the roster and they’d be keen on making a great first impression.
Bronny James On The Pressure That Comes With Playing Alongside LeBron James
During this introductory press conference, Bronny also admitted that there is amplified pressure on him as he is playing alongside his father LeBron James.
“For sure an amplified amount of pressure,” James said. “I’ve already seen it on social media and stuff talking about how I might not deserve an opportunity. There’s a lot of people that have something to say, but I’ve been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life, so it’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure but I get through it.”
Bronny only averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game as a freshman for USC after suffering a cardiac arrest before the season. While Lakers head coach JJ Redick claimed that Bronny had earned his place in the NBA, many disagreed. The fact that the team his father plays for drafted him with the 55th pick has only strengthened the notion that it’s the only reason he’s in the NBA.
The only way for Bronny to silence the critics would be to perform on the court. I think it is going to take the teenager some time to do that, though. Bronny isn’t ready just yet to play a significant role in the NBA and I hope the Lakers have a good development plan in place for him.
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