NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Levar and Lachele Bond seemed to have an idea that their son, LeBron, would be athletically inclined from an early age.
But he may not have chosen the sport that many, based on one small trait, assumed he would.
"Because his name was LeBron, I'm sure everybody thought he was going to be a basketball player," smiled Lachele. "He didn't quite get the height for that, but I think when he was five [years old], that's when he really found his love for football."
"We would come from track practice and I'd throw the football with him," Levar recalled. "They had to catch four bombs before they go in the house and if not, they'd be out there for an hour catching footballs."
The hard work paid off. Fast forward to high school, and Bond was a sprinter with blazing speed and one of the top players on Maury's football team. He stood out as a wide receiver during the Commodores' most-successful era and ended his high school career on a 30-game winning streak.
"The behind-the-scenes work that he puts in is what I think is just underrated," Maury head coach Dyrri McCain noted of Bond. "He's already got the talent, but the work that he puts in is what I think about him."
Bond capped off high school with two state crowns and was one of Au'Tori Newkirk's go-to receivers in 2023 and 2024. With plenty of college offers on the table, the four-star wide receiver felt the Indiana crimson and committed to the Hoosiers.
"I told him 'hey man, it might be far, but we're your family. We're going to put some miles on that car and we're going to get out there and support you,'" Levar remembered.
"Everybody else was like 'Indiana? Who goes to Indiana?,'" added Lachele. "It wasn't known for being a football school at that time, but then everybody was like 'oh wow, he actually probably made a really good choice.'"
It sure is looking like it now. The Norfolk native is part of an Indiana program that's turning college football on it's head. The Hoosiers are 15-0 and will face Miami for the national championship Monday night in South Florida. Bond has appeared in 13 games, pulling in five catches for 49 yards. It's been quite a ride for the true freshman, one that his parents have been enjoying as well.
"All my family, people I haven't talked to in years, everyone's like 'oh my God, LeBron's playing at Indiana!,'" his mother smiled. "They're sending me videos and stuff like that, so it's just been really really fun."
"It just feels like you're watching a TV show," said Levar. "When I come home, I watch the games on YouTube and it's like man, we really were there, man."
Big games are nothing new for the receiver. He played in four state championship contests during high school and has already tasted the Big Ten championship game, the Rose Bowl and the Peach Bowl in college. Bond has not been part of a loss since December of 2022.
"All he's played in are state championships and now a national title. That's all he's played in in the past five years," McCain noted. "He's never played in anything less than the marbles, five years straight."
Now the Bonds make their way to South Florida to catch the biggest game in college football and join the large contingent of Hoosier fans who will help fill the seats at Hard Rock Stadium. It's an experience that hasn't hit them yet.
"You hear the words, but I think when we get there, it's going to be like 'wow, we're really here,'" said Lachele. "Maybe is hasn't sunk in quite yet."
"No, it hasn't sunk in yet," echoed Bond's father. "It probably won't sink in until probably about Monday morning."
Monday night, there is a potential the family will be celebrating triumph. For LeBron Bond, he'll look to embrace the opportunity of ending his debut collegiate season with a national championship.
"I would just be so excited, so overjoyed for him if they could do that," Lachele said of a possible Indiana victory. "Even though I know he hasn't played a lot, but it would really mean a lot to me."
"The kid is deserving," McCain added. "I'm happy for him and I can't wait to see him get it done and be able to show off his ring."
Two other local players will be on the field Monday night. Salem product Kaelon Black is a running back for Indiana. He's rushed for 960 yards and team-high 10 touchdowns. On the Miami sideline, Norfolk Christian graduate Brennan Burton has appeared in one game at wide receiver for the Hurricanes.
Indiana and Miami will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Monday night.
