Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, finally made his college basketball debut with the USC Trojans on Sunday after months of recovering from his cardiac arrest in July.
Against Long Beach State on Sunday, it wasn't the Cinderella story many had hoped for as Long Beach topped USC 84-79 in overtime. Nevertheless, many in attendance, including his father LeBron James, was ecstatic to see Bronny make his college debut.
Practically every move Bronny made on the hardwood had a reaction from the audience from his first college points off a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer to a chase-down block that resembled LeBron's signature blocks in the NBA. In only 16 minutes off the bench, James put up four points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.
On paper, his stats don't seem too impressive. However, take into consideration that Bronny only played limited minutes as the team eases him back into the rotation.
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LeBron James was in attendance to watch Bronny James make his college debut
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James attended the USC Trojans game against the Long Beach State 49ers to show support for his son's college debut on Sunday. It marked Bronny James' first college game since his cardiac arrest, coinciding with his father's NBA Cup victory on Saturday.
LeBron James said he would prioritize being present for his son, ensuring that he would set aside his NBA commitments during Bronny's college debut. However, the Lakers' schedule allowed LeBron the flexibility to attend and support his son without compromising his NBA responsibilities for the upcoming Tuesday game at the Dallas Mavericks.
Earlier in the summer, Bronny James had a cardiac arrest episode during a USC basketball practice. His family said that it stemmed from a congenital heart defect.
According to a family spokesperson, comprehensive evaluations conducted by specialists from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Mayo Clinic and Morristown Medical Center revealed that the probable cause of the 18-year-old's cardiac episode was a congenital heart anomaly significant in its anatomical and functional aspects.
Bronny has since made a full recovery and is now cleared to participate in USC's forthcoming matches.
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