Bryce Underwood and LeBron James met after a Lakers game earlier this month. According to Underwood on The Rich Eisen Show, he told LeBron that, “It’s over for Ohio State”:
The Michigan Wolverines have conquered the Ohio State Buckeyes for four glorious seasons in a row. After adding the nation’s No. 1 recruit and five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, the program hopes to make that an annual tradition moving forward.
The superstar incoming freshman is already stoking the flames, saying on The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday that he talked some smack to NBA legend LeBron James earlier this month when the two met following a Lakers game.
“I grew up a LeBron James fan. I have the Miami Heat jersey. I have the Cleveland jersey. All that,” Underwood said when he realized he had the opportunity to meet James.
Underwood works with Los Angeles Clippers’ star James Harden, and have become good friends. At halftime of their game, Underwood urged Harden to set up an introduction, and they made it work.
The 18-year-old was understandably nervous, meeting an idol and maybe the best to ever play the game of basketball. But he shook off the nervous energy by talking some smack to the future NBA Hall of Famer and notable Buckeyes fan. Underwood reiterated the encounter, telling James:
“Before this gets all started, I just had to let you know, I’m going to Michigan. He was like, ‘Oh…yeah’, and I said ‘Yeah, it’s over for Ohio State.’”
LeBron laughed it off, according to Underwood, but as Eisen pointed out, Underwood had to let the NBA’s all-time leading scorer know that the next four November’s “are going to go similar to the last four.”
The winning streak for the Wolverines has sent waves across the college football landscape. Most notably, Ohio State fans were calling for Ryan Day’s head after this year’s loss in Columbus, where the Buckeyes were 21.5-point favorites.
While it may be tongue-in-cheek in a moment to break the ice with a sports icon, it simultaneously continues the message that Michigan has struck in the last four years: Until further notice, the Wolverines are back on top.