Bronny, son of NBA star LeBron James, announced on social media on Friday morning that he is entering the 2024 NBA Draft as well as the NCAA transfer portal.
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Bronny James Is Entering The 2024 NBA Draft And NCAA Transfer Portal
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On Friday morning, Bronny, 19, took to Instagram to share his big announcement.
In a post simply captioned, “Thank you USC,” Bronny shared his decision to move on from USC to either enter the NBA or transfer to a different school.
“I’ve had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student, and athlete,” he wrote on a graphic of him in his USC uniform. “I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal.”
He also thanked everyone at USC, his family, friends, trainers, doctors, and fans for their support.
The post quickly received more than 650,000 likes and 7,000 comments.
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Many Fans Left Their Thoughts In The Comments Of Bronny James’ Instagram Announcement
Fans quickly flooded the comment section of Bronny’s Instagram post to share their thoughts. While many shared that they are happy for him and send well wishes, others had different thoughts.
“Basically guys if he doesn’t get drafted he can still play for college,” one person explained. Another added, “Congrats bro. Hope to see you on the Lakers.”
One other person said, “The NBA is about to make HISTORY do ya hear me? This is BIG.”
Then there are the people who think he shouldn’t be entering the NBA Draft just yet voicing their thoughts.
“Nepotism,” one person wrote. Another said, “You are not ready for the NBA.” And one other viewer shared, “I’ve never seen someone enter the draft, return to college, and enter the transfer portal all in one post.”
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One fan commented about the recent coaching changes at USC. Andy Enfield, USC coach, is leaving for SMU, and USC recently hired Eric Musselman.
“Leaving right when one of the best college basketball minds gets hired is wild to me,” the fan wrote.
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Fans Blamed LeBron James When Bronny Was Dropped From ESPN’s Mock Draft
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A few months ago, Bronny was dropped from ESPN’s 2024 NBA mock draft and many fans pointed the finger at his father, LeBron, citing the pressure he put on him for years.
LeBron took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share his frustration about the situation.
“Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball. The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do,” he wrote on X. “If y’all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!”
He also said, “These Mock Drafts don’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE!”
Shortly after sharing his thoughts, he deleted his social media post, but not before others screenshot and shared it.
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Fans Discussed LeBron’s Tweet On Other Social Media Posts
Many fans shared their thoughts on the mock draft and why Bronny was removed.
“I mean LeBron can tweet that, but he himself is putting pressure on Bronny by saying s— like ‘Bronny could be in the league right now’ or ‘Bronny could play for us right now.’ Bron needs to take his own advice and just let his son ball,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “Bron this is your fault. YOU should’ve been letting Bronny be a kid instead of pushing his greatness. He wasn’t even the best player on his high school team. Now that he doesn’t have you to coddle his steps at SC you wanna take your frustrations out on the people paid to evaluate Bronny’s potential at the next level. Let him stay and develop himself more.”
Another pointed out, “I agree with LeBron’s statement that kids should get to play and improve. But at the same time, he was the one that was hyping Bronny up before. So then you have to be able to take it when it is not positive.”
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Bronny James Suffered A Cardiac Arrest Last Summer
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On July 24, Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest while at USC basketball practice. Shortly after, a James family spokesperson shared information about Bronny’s condition.
“Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. The medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in the ICU,” the spokesperson said.
“We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update the media when there is more information. LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes.”
Sources said that a 911 call was made from USC’s Galen Center, where the team plays and practices and an ambulance took the then-18-year-old to the hospital.
Bronny made his college basketball debut on December 10 against Long Beach State. After his game, he did a quick interview to express his gratitude.
“I just want to say I’m thankful for everything. The Mayo Clinic, everything they helped me with,” he said. “My parents, siblings for supporting me through this hard time in my life. I just want to give appreciation to everyone who’s helped me through this.”