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Bronny James' USC debut: Son of LeBron James plays in first game as Trojans lose in OT to Long Beach State

James scored four points and played 16 minutes in his first game since his cardiac arrest in July

LOS ANGELES -- USC led by as many as 17 points in the first half before Long Beach State used a late surge in an 84-79 overtime victory to spoil the debut of Trojans star freshman Bronny James.

James returned to the court less than five months after going into cardiac arrest during a preseason workout in late July. Coming into the game, James was expected to be on a minutes restriction and finished with four points, three rebounds, two assists and a block in 16 minutes of action.

"I just wanted to say I'm thankful for everything," Bronny James said after the game. "(From) The Mayo Clinic and everything they helped me with, my parents and siblings supporting me through this hard time in my life. I just want to give appreciation to everyone that's helped me through this. Also, my coach, my teammates and other coaches."

James did not take questions from reporters.

"Bronny handles the spotlight extremely well," USC coach Andy Enfield said. "He's a passionate young man about playing basketball. I'm not sure what will happen in the future as far as spotlight, but he handles it very well."

The Trojans (5-4) were coming off a loss to Gonzaga in Las Vegas and now have lost three of their last four games after a 4-1 start to the season.

Long Beach State (7-4) faced its third Big Six program of the season and improved to 3-0 with wins over Michigan, DePaul and most recently, USC.

The next action for James and USC is next Sunday on the road against Auburn. The Trojans have a four-game road trip before returning home to face Cal on Jan. 3.

It is not clear if James will be allowed to see more action in the next few games.

"We will continue to monitor that, that's not my decision," Enfield said. "He played his restriction tonight, his minutes restriction, and I thought he played well in those minutes."

  • USC missed 16 free throws and turned the ball over 19 times in the loss
  • Long Beach State star Marcus Tsohonis scored a game-high 28 points in only 27 minutes
  • USC star freshman Isaiah Collier struggled from the free throw line and converted only 5-of-12 attempts from the charity stripe.
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Live updates
 
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Bronny with the rejection 

Bronny James has been active on both ends of the floor in his limited action thus far. James had an incredible weak side block and dished out an assist on the other end. James has still yet to score, but he's clearly making an impact.
 
@USC_Hoops via Twitter
 

Cardiac arrest among college basketball players

Unfortunately, James wasn't even the first member of the USC basketball program to go into cardiac arrest during a team practice. USC big man Vincent Iwuchukwu suffered a cardiac arrest incident last summer and missed the first 16 games of the 2022-23 season because of it. James so far this season has missed USC's first seven games.

In late 2020, Florida wing Keyontae Johnson suffered what was then the most well-known case of a cardiac event at the college level in recent memory. Johnson, then a projected first round pick, collapsed on the court during a game vs. Florida State. He was later diagnosed with sudden cardiac arrest. Johnson did not play the remainder of the season and missed all of the 2021-22 season before returning to the court for Kansas State last season.

Former Baylor star Jared Butler was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest in the U.S., when he was 18 years old and preparing to start his college career. Butler went on to be an All-American, though his condition was flagged during the NBA Draft process, causing him to slip to the No. 40 pick in 2021.

 

Bronny's draft stock

Before James suffered a health scare over the summer that put his playing career potentially in doubt, he was viewed as a late-lottery/early first-round NBA Draft selection in various mock drafts by CBS Sports. In Kyle Boone's latest mock draft earlier this week, James was not tabbed as a first-round selection. 

There are many factors in play when looking at his draft stock going forward. The first and most obvious one is how will he look on the basketball court? The reason why James was considered a potential first-round pick in the first place is because his play style fits the modern NBA game. James is active on the defensive end and has a high basketball IQ. Both translate to the next level. 

The other factor in his draft stock is his last name. His father, LeBron James, has expressed numerous times over the years about his desire to play with his son in the NBA. The elder James signed a 2-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers last summer that runs through the 2024-25 campaign. It's possible a team could be enticed to select the younger James if they knew his father would make his way to that respective team. 

 
@USC_Hoops via Twitter
 

Bronny going through warmups 

Cameron Salerno, CBS Sports
Cameron Salerno, CBS Sports
 

How to watch Bronny's debut

Of course we'll have updates here, but if you want to watch Bronny James play in his first game, here's how to tune in:

How to watch Bronny James' debut: USC vs. Long Beach State, live stream, TV channel, start time
Cameron Salerno
 
@USC_Hoops via Twitter
 

USC vs. Long Beach State pick, prediction 

James returning to the court this weekend is a massive win for USC and college basketball as a whole. After suffering that major health scare in July, there was serious cast doubt on when or if he would return to the court. James is a very good basketball player that should help the Trojans get back on track because he is a perfect role player that can complement Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier in the backcourt. His high basketball IQ and his willingness to be unselfish will make a major impact no matter how many minutes he plays this weekend or going forward. His return should provide the perfect storm in building momentum ahead of a showdown with Auburn next weekend. Prediction: USC -14

 
@USC_Hoops via Twitter
 
@USC_Hoops via Twitter
 
@USC_Hoops via Twitter
 

Bronny officially cleared to play

In case there was any doubt, USC has announced Bronny James is cleared to play and is available vs. LBSU. 
 

Bronny expected to make debut Sunday

USC freshman Bronny James, Lakers star LeBron James' oldest son, is expected to see action in his first game Sunday, according to Trojans coach Andy Enfield. 

Here's what you need to know...

USC freshman Bronny James, son of NBA star LeBron James, available and expected to play in first game Sunday
Cameron Salerno
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