On July 24, 2023, it wasn’t clear if we’d ever see Bronny James on a basketball court again. That day, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James suffered cardiac arrest during a team workout. On Sunday, if all things go well, the USC Trojans freshman appears to be set to make his debut against the Long Beach State 49ers in Los Angeles, a miraculous return after months of uncertainty.
On Thursday, Bronny participated in his first full-contact practice with USC.
Forget his basketball lineage, his NBA dreams, his NIL value and his potential impact on USC’s program for a moment. It’s just good to see the 19-year-old back on a basketball court.
If Bronny plays Sunday, the game is arguably the most anticipated debut of a collegiate player in recent college basketball history. Yes, the arrivals of Michigan’s Fab Five (1991), Kevin Durant and Greg Oden (2006), and Zion Williamson (2018) were all big moments in college basketball.
But Bronny James is the son of a player who is viewed as the greatest of all time by a generation of fans. And LeBron James, who said he wants to attend his son’s first college game, might be in the building Sunday. And wherever he goes, other celebrities tend to follow.
Greatness rarely shows up, however, in the children of legends, especially in basketball.
Michael Jordan’s sons played college basketball but didn’t come close to the all-world status their father enjoyed with the North Carolina Tar Heels and beyond. Rick Barry’s three sons played in the NBA, but they weren’t all-time legends like their father, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. The best example of a player mirroring a great father in basketball is probably Domantas Sabonis, who had a fine collegiate career at Gonzaga before a strong run in the NBA. But his father, Arvydas, is in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Bronny will face more pressure than those sons did. The spotlight — he has 8 million followers on Instagram — will stay bright throughout his time at USC.
That journey begins Sunday, when he faces Long Beach State in his first collegiate game.
Get your popcorn ready.
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