Sunday marked the collegiate debut of Bronny James, the son of LeBron James. In 16 minutes off the bench, he scored four points in an overtime loss for USC to Long Beach State, 84-79. This defeat came more than four months after Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest during a July practice.
James, flanked by his father at the Galen Center, entered the game with 12 minutes and 58 seconds remaining in the initial half. After grabbing a rebound at 1:25, he was unable to convert a three-point attempt four seconds later.
With 13:10 remaining in the second half, the 19-year-old freshman converted his second attempt, a three-pointer that extended the Trojans’ advantage to 56-46.
The 49ers increased their lead to 72-71 with 1:05 remaining in regulation via 10-2 and 8-2 runs. Boogie Ellis converted a layup in the final 42 seconds of regulation, and James converted a free throw in the final 21 seconds to give USC a 74-72 lead.
Long Beach State guard Marcus Tsohonis tied the game and forced overtime with a jump jumper with three seconds remaining in regulation.
James was in action for the initial 2:42 of overtime without attempting a shot. One of six attempts was made by USC during the five-minute overtime period. The final four points were tallied by the Beach (7-4) via Tsohonis’ free throws.
James contributed one free throw, one of three attempts, two assists, two thefts, and a blocked shot to his totals.
James participated without restriction in his first full-contact practice at USC on Thursday, marking the concluding phase of his basketball comeback.
On July 24, he encountered cardiac arrest while participating in a practice at Galen Center. He was initially treated in intensive care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was transported. He was released from the medical facility after a duration of three days.
In August, the James family announced that “the probable cause of Mr. James’ sudden cardiac arrest has been identified” following exhaustive initial and follow-up examinations. Biologically and anatomically, it is a congenital cardiac defect of considerable importance that is treatable. We are extremely optimistic regarding Bronny’s complete recovery and imminent return to basketball.
The family of James declared on November 30 that physicians had authorized his “complete return to basketball.”
USC says James, who is 210 pounds and 6-foot-4 inches, is a combo guard with “elite basketball instincts and toughness, as well as the ability to score from anywhere on the court.” Sophisticated with 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 steals on an annual basis, he attended Sierra Canyon High in Chatsworth as a senior. ESPN.com ranked him nineteenth overall in the 2023 recruiting class.
James contributed four assists and five points on 5-for-8 shooting from three-point range during the McDonald’s All-American game.
LeBron James has expressed his desire to play in the NBA long enough to watch his firstborn do so as well.