USC freshman Bronny James made his long-awaited debut for the Trojans nearly five months after he suffered cardiac arrest.
The son of NBA superstar LeBron James checked in off the bench for the Trojans with 12:58 to go in the first half.
While the 19-ear-old was held scoreless in the first half, he missed his lone shot attempt, James still found a way to bring the crowd to its feet with a highlight reel block reminiscent of how his father plays the game.
The moment sent the crowd, including his father, into a frenzy, and a few moments later, he followed up the great defensive play with his first collegiate assist.
James recorded his first NCAA points in the opening seconds of the second half when he drained a three to extend UCS’s lead over Long Beach State to 10.
In his debut, James finished the game with four points on 1-of-3 shooting to go along with three rebounds and two assists. The Trojans fell 84-79 to the 49ers in overtime. James logged 17 minutes off the bench in the loss.
James was cleared to return to basketball activities on Nov. 30 and received clearance from USC’s medical staff this past week. He made a point to thank those who helped him in his recovery after the game.
“I just want to say I’m thankful for everything,” James said, in a video he provided. “Mayo Clinic, everything they helped me with. My parents, siblings who supported me through this. 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, all my other coaches that have been with me since the start. I just want to say I’m thankful for them.”
