Bronny James soars through air for chase-down block in USC debut
Bronny James made his USC debut Sunday following his sudden cardiac arrest suffered during the team’s offseason workouts as the Trojans hosted Long Beach State. James is on a minutes restriction for his first game with the Trojans, but that didn’t stop him from making his presence felt in the Galen Center.
With his father LeBron in the building, Bronny took a page out of his book, chasing down Beach guard Jadon Jones‘ layup attempt on a fast break for an impressive block that sent the arena into a frenzy.
Check out the first highlight-worthy play of James’ collegiate career below.
James checked into the game with 12:58 left in the first half, receiving an ovation from the home crowd as he took the court for the very first time in a USC uniform. He stayed active on the defensive end throughout the first half, getting his hands on a pass and recording his impressive chase-down block.
He missed his lone shot attempt in the first half (a three-point shot attempt), but did record a rebound and assist to go along with his block.
James’ effort on the defensive end and ability to consistently and unselfishly make the right passes at a high level stood out in his minutes during the first half of his Trojans’ debut, as USC entered halftime ahead of Long Beach State 45-30.
In late July, James was rushed to the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during a workout on campus at USC, arriving at the hospital conscious and stable before being discharged shortly after. Nine games into the season for the Trojans and following his recovery, James makes his highly anticipated collegiate debut in front of a sold-out crowd after tickets skyrocketed following the news of him playing.
James played high school basketball at Sierra Canyon (CA), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 25 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was also ranked the No. 6 point guard in this year’s freshman class, joining forces with the No. 1 overall ranked point guard Isaiah Collier at USC.
Collier ended the first half with 10 points and an impressive four steals, with Vincent Iwuchukwu matching his 10 points to both lead the Trojans in scoring at the break.