LeBron James was the MVP of his time in the 2003 McDonald’s All-American Game. The guy dropped 27 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists like it was nothing. He did set the bar for high school ballers, and honestly, it’s pretty tough for anyone to come close to that. But, naturally, when the McDonald’s All-American list for this year dropped, fans were searching for his son, Bryce James, name But guess what? The 17-year-old didn’t make it.

Now, the McDonald’s All-American Game selection committee has its own criteria for picking players. They look at a variety of factors like performance, potential, and the competition level a player faces. 

But you know how it goes, if you’re King James’ son, there’s always going to be a huge spotlight on you. Fans were shocked that he didn’t even make it to the “snub list,” though people in the comments on social media were quick to push for him.

So why didn’t Bryce cut? Well, even though he’s been making strides with his game, he just didn’t have that explosive season that would have put him over the edge. However, the Arizona-committed has been playing well. 

He’s a 6’3” shooting guard at Sierra Canyon. Even though his stats from the summer circuit with Strive For Greatness on the Nike EYBL circuit were modest—6.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 14 games, he had a few standout moments.

On January 18, 2025, Bryce scored a career-high 16 points in a win over No. 6 Grayson High School. His performance helped lead Sierra Canyon to an upset victory. So, overall. Bryce’s development has been impressive, with each game showing just how much he’s grown as a player. 

But it seems like it wasn’t just enough. It’s tough to follow in the footsteps of someone like the NBA legend, who had a historic performance in the All-American Game. At just 18, the Lakers’ star put up big numbers, leading the East team to a 122-107 victory.  Unfortunately, his son won’t get a chance to lace up for the same. 

But his fans clearly believe he deserved a spot.

Bryce James snubbed from McDonald’s All-American list

The post didn’t even mention Bryce James, but that didn’t stop people from flooding the comments with his name as one simply wrote “Bryce James”—just putting it out there, making sure he wasn’t overlooked.  If there was any doubt that people were rooting for him, this cleared it up real quickly. 

And then came the big question, “Why didn’t Bryce James make it?” Fans wanted answers, and while the simple explanation is that other players were ranked higher and earned their spots, not everyone was convinced. A lot of people felt like some of those selections could have been swapped out to make space for guys like Jasper Johnson, Kiyan Anthony, or Bryce.

Speaking of Kiyan, it wasn’t just Bryce’s name making waves—Kiyan Anthony’s fans were just as loud. One chimed in saying, “Kiyan Anthony and Bryce James.” Carmelo Anthony’s son is ranked No. 1 in New York and sits at No. 32 nationwide, so naturally, people were rallying for him, too. 

And then, obviously, the Bronny vs. Bryce debate made its way into the mix. One fan straight-up said, “Bronny but no Bryce, or am I trippin????” It’s a fair question, considering King James’ eldest made to the roster two years back after averaging 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. 

His stats were more polished than his younger one, sure, but there’s always been this idea that Bryce has the edge over him, making the snub sting even more for some fans. And just when you thought the debates couldn’t get any hotter, someone penned, “Kiyan > Bronny.” 

Yes, people weren’t just comparing Bryce to Bronny; they were out here saying Kiyan is better than Bronny too. But, at the end of the day, Bronny has transitioned to the pros and neither Bryce nor Kiyan made the cut.

But this showed they have a massive fanbase standing behind them. And with their careers just getting started, this definitely won’t be the last time their names are in these discussions. Kiyan is heading to Syracuse, following in his father Carmelo Anthony’s footsteps, while Bryce is making his way to Arizona. 

So, let’s see how they take things forward from here!