LeBron James’ son Bronny James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers last week and he’s paying tribute to Juice WRLD with his No. 9 jersey. James was officially introduced as a Los Angeles Laker in a press conference on Tuesday (July 2) where he explained how the late rapper served as the inspiration behind his jersey number selection.
“Juice has been a big part of me keeping calm in some situations that I’ve been through. Just paying homage to him, especially cause he passed. It’s a really important thing for me.
” See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Chicago native was a mental health advocate and vulnerably opened up about his battles with substance abuse, which helped Bronny navigate certain times in life with the spotlight on him as the teenage son of one of the best to ever pick up a basketball. Back in 2022, Bronny got Juice WRLD’s “9 9 9” affirmations tattooed on his neck behind his ear. Juice explained to MTV News in 2018 that “9 9 9” stood for turning negatives in life into positives, which Bronny struck a chord with James.
“9 9 9 represents taking whatever ill, whatever bad situation, whatever struggle you’re going through and turning it into something positive to push yourself forward,” Juice told host Sway Calloway at the time. Unfortunatley, Juice WRLD’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 21 when he passed away from an accidental overdose due to oxycodone and codeine toxicity after suffe.
