Bronny James finally took the court for his much-anticipated first game with the USC Trojans on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest in July.
James played off the bench and logged 16 minutes in an 84-79 overtime loss to Long Beach State. He had four points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one highlight chasedown block.
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His lone made field goal in three attempts was a 3-pointer, and he split a pair of free throws.
Bronny James experienced a cardiac arrest while working out at the Galen Center on July 20. Subsequent examinations revealed a treatable congenital heart defect.
Recently, his doctors and USC’s medical team gave him the green light to engage in full-contact practice, marking a significant progression from his earlier restrictions to solo workouts encompassing weights, cardio and shooting.
Bronny’s collegiate debut drew reactions from NBA stars, including Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant.
Wade, one of LeBron James’ best friends, tweeted that Bronny’s debut gave him chills.
“Watching Bronny walk out on that court gave me chills… Welcome back to the game you love Bronny,” Wade posted.
Durant, meanwhile, gave Bronny a simple shoutout.
LeBron; members of the James family, including Bryce James, a four-star forward in ESPN’s 2025 recruiting class; and LA Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka were among those present to witness Bronny’s USC debut.
Is Bronny James first-round pick material?
Before Bronny James suffered the health setback in July, he had been labeled a mid-to-late first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft by Sports Illustrated’s Draft Digest.
“He makes smart plays, has good vision and natural feel,” the profile reads. “Defensively, James gives more effort than most his age. He rarely takes plays off and understands how to defend various players based on their strengths and weaknesses.”
According to a recent report by Jeff Goodman from The Messenger, Bronny has the chance to be selected late in the first round of this year’s draft despite his health woes.
“The hope is that Bronny can stay healthy and impact USC for the remainder of the season,” Goodman wrote. “The NBA execs I’ve spoken to have been intrigued by Bronny’s game and development, but most slotted him as a late first-rounder in a weak NBA draft. That was also prior to the heart issues.”
However, there are also reservations among other scouts.
“He’s a very good defender. Strong, athletic, good ball-mover, some potential as a shooter,” one scout said. “Limited ability to create his own shot. I don’t see him as a lottery pick or maybe even a first-rounder.”
Goodman’s report included a quote from an NBA executive who said Bronny should stay in college for another year.
“Personally, I think he should stay in college more than a year,” said the high-ranking NBA executive. “He needs more time, especially after what he just went through.”
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Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein