Bronny James made his much-anticipated college basketball debut for USC on Sunday against Long Beach State, playing mostly mistake-free basketball but not doing quite enough to help the Trojans avoid an upset at the hands of LBSU.
James, making his return to the floor after being cleared to return to basketball following a cardiac incident over the summer, tallied four points in 17 minutes in the 84–79 overtime loss. Just the mere potential of seeing James’ debut produced a sellout home crowd at the Galen Center, and his father, LeBron James, was among the big names courtside to watch his son’s first collegiate game.
The 6’4” guard came off the bench and was on an unspecified minutes restriction as he continues to work his way back into the lineup. All told, his contributions were positive, as he showed off his strong defensive instincts and high basketball IQ. For a player who had been in the ICU less than six months ago and had received limited practice time to get his feet back under him, James didn’t look overwhelmed, flashing impressive polish and maturity with few signs of rust.
Mark J. Terrill/AP
It didn’t take long for James to make his presence felt after checking into the game early in the first half. He picked up the defensive pressure immediately, nearly getting a steal from LBSU point guard Jason Hart Jr. to help eventually force a shot clock violation. And after missing his first three-point attempt, James settled into the game and didn’t force anything, making a pair of smart extra passes that generated open looks for teammates.
The biggest highlight of the game came later in the first half, when James channeled his father for an epic chasedown block. James came from the other side of the floor to pin a transition layup attempt from Long Beach State’s Jadon Jones against the backboard, sending the crowd (and everyone watching at home) into a frenzy.
BRONNY JAMES CHASE DOWN BLOCK 😱
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 10, 2023
REMIND YOU OF SOMEONE?
(via @Pac12Network) pic.twitter.com/8bCkOFKYU5
In the second half, James scored his first college points, drilling a wing three in transition with around 13 minutes to go.
Bronny drains a three for his first bucket as a Trojan!
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) December 10, 2023
📺: @Pac12Network
📱: https://t.co/sun5jxIL31 pic.twitter.com/IC0F8nUKVh
Perhaps the most notable part of James’s debut was the trust coach Andy Enfield put in him late in the game. Enfield used James as part of his closing lineup in the final four minutes of regulation and kept him in for the first three minutes of overtime, opting for a four-guard lineup after veteran wing D.J. Rodman fouled out. For Enfield to trust James in those minutes in a surprisingly close game bodes well for the freshman guard’s future in the Trojans’ rotation.
For the most part, James repaid that trust well. He did miss one key free throw in the final minute, but had a pair of steals that helped the Trojans at least force overtime and did not look out of place playing late in a close game.
“Bronny handles the spotlight extremely well,” Enfield told reporters postgame. James did not answer questions from reporters but did make a statement postgame thanking doctors, family, coaches and teammates.
Bronny James makes a statement thanking his doctors, family, coaches and teammates after making his debut. He didn't take questions. Andy Enfield said he thought Bronny played well: "Bronny handles the spotlight extremely well." pic.twitter.com/25ZQqMF6yv
— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) December 10, 2023
In all, it wasn’t an earth-shattering debut for James. He mostly blended in as a rotation player, and acquitted himself well without accumulating too many highlights. Those expecting him to immediately dominate college competition after practicing for less than a week were putting unfair pressure on the player because of his last name. Even disregarding the limited practice reps and cardiac incident, less than half of five-star recruits average 10 or more points per game in college basketball as freshmen, and so far 16 of the 24 college players ranked higher than James in the 247Sports recruiting rankings are below that threshold.
James did show the makings of an impactful, game-ready guard, flashing the same tools he did in high school at Sierra Canyon and on the AAU circuit with Strive For Greatness. That made today a big step forward for the freshman, whose path to the NBA has been speculated about for years but met a major roadblock after the medical emergency he suffered in July. As he builds his way back to restriction-free minutes, showing more of what he showed Sunday in a larger role should satisfy scouts’ questions about his ability to at least develop into an NBA prospect.
