Bronny James, the star prospect son of Lakers star LeBron James, has committed to USC, he announced on Instagram.
James, who is ranked as a top-25 recruit by both ESPN and 247 Sports, is one of the last top recruits to decide where he will play college basketball next year. He attended high school at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., helping the Trailblazers win 47 games over the past two seasons. He committed to USC over Ohio State, Memphis, Oregon among others.
James is one of the top combo guards in the country and has the game that is expected to be good enough to allow him to pursue an NBA career in the next few years. He now enters a situation at USC that will not only allow him to play early in his career, but also close to his family’s home in Los Angeles.
James played in the McDonald’s All-American Game in March, totaling 15 points, four assists and two steals in 19 minutes. Although skipping college in favor of pro options was a possibility for Bronny, his mother, Savannah James, told Sports Illustrated that Bronny wants the college experience.
“Bronny wants to have a college career,” she said. “I think it would be really cool for him to start with collegiate basketball, just to start his legacy there.”
Bronny James will be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft. That is a key fact, as LeBron already has said he wants to play with his son in the NBA. LeBron turns 39 in December, and his son’s commitment to USC now inches him one step closer to playing in the NBA either with or against his dad before LeBron ends his legendary professional career.
“I put it in the air because I like to talk to the basketball gods out there and see if things can come to fruition,” LeBron James told Sports Illustrated. “I’ve always set out goals in my career, talked to the basketball gods, and they’ve listened to all of them. Hopefully they can listen to this last one, too.”
This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.