WHERE IS BRONNY’S MIDDLE SCHOOL AAU TEAM NOW

Where are they now? Bronny James' loaded 14-year-old AAU team, the North Coast Blue Chips. This was the most talented and viral middle school basketball team ever. LeBron James' oldest son Bronny was finally at the age where we could start to see just how much potential he had. All eyes were on Bronny because outside of maybe MJ's sons, he had more pressure to be good than any other NBA son ever. But this came at a time when basketball coverage on YouTube was at an all-time high. So this middle school basketball team had more than 10 media people with a camera at every single one of their games. As a result, this team sprouted a new wave of high school basketball celebrities. Now as we look back four years later, and most of these guys are wrapping up their high school careers, it is incredible to see just how talented that group of 14-year-olds was. So in this video, I will break down what happened to each and every one of the players on that legendary Blue Chips squad, tell you where they are now, and where they are headed. First up, we got Dave Cupps, the three-point sniper for that squad. He first went viral with the Blue Chips when he challenged LeBron to a three-point contest during halftime of one of their games. He went shot for shot with Bron, but did end up losing. I think something that was very cool about this Blue Chips team was how much LeBron James was actually involved. He was either sitting courtside or coaching almost all of their games, and it was always fun to see these young kids form a bond with their idol. Gabe Cupps stayed in Ohio for high school, playing for Centerville. He turned into more than just a shooter, as he's now a very well-rounded point guard. Gabe became a four-star recruit in the class of 2023, and led Centerville to a state championship in his sophomore year. There was a lot of expectations going into his junior year, and for the most part, Gabe and Centerville delivered. They went 28-0 in the regular season, including an incredible victory over a loaded Southern Cal team, a game I was in attendance for. Gabe won Ohio Mr. Basketball, but fell just short in the state championship this time around to Pickerington Central High School. Gabe has since committed to Indiana University, saying he was drawn in by just how much the game of basketball means to that state and university. Next up, we got the big man in the middle, Big Jaw Zaire Jackson. Big Jaw was a dominant force for that Blue Chip squad. He first went viral because he was just so much bigger than any opponent. He was a 6'9", 14-year-old, and people joked about how Jaw was already taller than LeBron. While in high school, Jaw became a legit 7-footer at IMG Academy. He continued to dominate on the interior at IMG, but he wasn't a super highly-rated recruit, mostly because he was a little bit slow on his feet. In April of 2021, Jaw announced that he would be giving up his college eligibility. He's now in his second season there, and since joining that program, he's slimmed down quite a bit. He's also flashed some pretty impressive ball skills for a player his size. With college out of the picture, though, it's unclear what Big Jaw's next move will be. But one thing is certain, everyone loves Big Jaw, and he has a large presence on social media. Next up, we got Rodney Gallagher. Rodney is a guy that didn't go quite as viral as Gabe Cupps or Jaw Jackson, but it was always clear he was a super gifted athlete when he was with the Blue Chips. Rodney ended up going to Laurel Highlands High School in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He continued to play basketball, and picked up some Division 1 offers by the time he was a sophomore. But basketball was actually not even his best sport. Rodney became a football star. He is currently rated as a 4-star wide receiver and the 219th-ranked player in the country overall. Rodney had well over 20 offers to play D1 football and recently ended up committing to West Virginia. It's very cool to see that everyone from that Blue Chips team has found success in high school, whether it be in basketball or a different sport. So now let's talk about another guy from that Blue Chips team that ended up as a highly rated football recruit, Luke Montgomery. Luke was another one of the big men on that Blue Chips squad. He also didn't gain much popularity back then. He wasn't quite as talented on the basketball court as some of the other guys, and didn't wow anyone with crazy highlights. But as it turns out, I wouldn't be surprised if Luke Montgomery ends up being the most successful out of any of the Blue Chips at the professional level. Luke went to Finlay High School in Ohio and continued to play basketball as a 6'6", 260-pound center. But it's on the football field where he really dominates. He is now ranked as the 5th best offensive tackle in the country. He does an incredible job blocking for his brother, Ryan Montgomery, who is actually the QB for Finlay. Ryan is only a sophomore, but is already rated as a 4-star recruit with offers from Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, and more. Luke had 30-plus offers of his own, and will be staying home for college to play at Ohio State. I think we're gonna be seeing Luke Montgomery in the NFL in a few years. Next up, we got Rayvon Griffin. Rayvon was a star for that Blue Chips squad. He was super athletic for a middle school kid, already throwing down dunks when he was in the 8th grade. Well, he is still very athletic. Rayvon went on to play at Taft High School in Ohio, and led his squad to a Division III state title in his junior year. This summer, he decided to make the transfer to AZ Compass Prep for his senior year. AZ Compass is one of the favorites to win it all this year, as Rayvon will be playing alongside guys like Mookie Cook, Victorious Miller, and Pharaoh Compton. Rayvon is currently rated as a 4-star recruit, and will be returning home for college as he's made his commitment to Cincinnati. Next up, we got Koi Thurman. Koi was the crafty, left-handed point guard for the Blue Chips. Everyone fell in love with the way he plays the game. He was setting up his teammates left and right. A true floor general. Koi went on to play at Copley High School. He averaged 18 points and 5 assists per game as a sophomore there, but ended up transferring after that season. He made the move to Buchtel High School. Koi was joining his friend, 5-star Chris Livingston at Buchtel, but Livingston ended up transferring to Oak Hill. So, the two never played together. Nonetheless, Koi continued to improve and picked up some D1 offers. Koi has yet to make his college commitment. Okay, now we have reached a point in the video where we get to talk about the two most viral players from that Blue Chips squad. Two guys that have a combined 10.4 million followers on Instagram. First up, we got Mikey Williams. Mikey first dunked a basketball in a game at the age of 12. By the time he was in the 7th grade, he was considered the number one player in the 2023 class. And when he started playing alongside Bronny James, he quickly gained that celebrity status. Mikey really elevated the virality of that Blue Chips team. The headlines and YouTube titles always said Bronny James and the number one player in the class, Mikey Williams. Mikey started his high school career at San Ysidro in California. As a freshman, he scored 50 points in just his second high school game. And then he had a 77-point performance later that season. But throughout the rest of his high school career, he bounced around a lot and didn't maintain that number one ranking. In his sophomore year, he played at Lake Norman Christian. In his junior year, he played at Vertical Academy. And this season, he has returned to San Ysidro for his senior year. Some would say Mikey's high school career has been a disappointment, but I would argue he is still a very good player. He is a big point guard that can drive the ball very well, has great shot creating instincts, and rebounds the hell out of the ball. He is now ranked as the 19th best player in the country and has 30 plus Division 1 offers. He recently took a visit to Kansas and will be announcing his college decision soon. And finally, we got Bronny James. I think everyone pretty much knows what Bronny's been up to, because all eyes have been on him at every step of his career. We watched him ball out on the EYBL circuit for Strive for Greatness this summer, and he's now entering his senior year at Sierra Canyon. Bronny has improved rapidly over the last six months, and I think he's gonna wow people this year. His recruitment has just started to become public with his recent visit to Ohio State, so I'm very excited to see who ends up landing him. The most recent update when it comes to the entire Blue Chips team was that they actually reunited on the basketball court this summer. At the beginning of July, Gabe Cupps, Rayvon Griffith, Ja Jackson, Koi Thurman, and Bronny James all played on the same team in an event put on by The Battle called the Blue Chips Reunion. I think that was officially the last chapter of the Blue Chips legacy, and it'll be very exciting to see what all these guys do at the next level. Now, if you want to hear all of our thoughts on Bronny James as a player, and whether or not we think he's good enough for the NBA, you can check out this video here where we broke down all of that. But that is gonna do it for this video. Thank you so much for watching, and we'll see you in the next one.