Bronny James, eldest son of LeBron James, is entering the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility and also entering the NCAA transfer portal, he announced in a Friday Instagram post.
“I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal,” Bronny wrote in his post.
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Bronny started six of the 25 games he played in at the University of Southern California in his freshman year. A November 2023 cardiac arrest put his freshman year in doubt but he was eventually cleared and returned to playing games in December. (RELATED: Say What You Want About LeBron, But He’s One Hell Of A Dad)
But the 15th-ranked prospect coming out of high school was largely limited to a bench role for the Trojans, averaging under 20 minutes per game and contributing a meager stat line of 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, according to Sports Reference.
With numbers that miniscule, and a massive question mark of a potential heart condition, it’s hard to see any team taking a chance on young James at this point in his fledgling career. So it’s probably for the best that he’s chosen to retain his eligibility.
His entrance into the transfer portal, however, likely signifies the end of his time as a Trojan either way. He thanked the school and their fans for supporting him during his time there, seeming to indicate his imminent departure.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 13: Bronny James #6 of the USC Trojans handles the ball in the first half of a first round game against the Washington Huskies during the Pac-12 Conference basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans defeated the Huskies 80-74. David Becker/Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 14: Bronny James #6 of the USC Trojans looks on in the second half of a quarterfinal game against the Arizona Wildcats during the Pac-12 Conference basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats defeated the Trojans 70-49. David Becker/Getty Images
TUCSON, ARIZONA – JANUARY 17: Bronny James #6 of the USC Trojans attempts a layup during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on January 17, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. Chris Coduto/Getty Images
“Thank you to USC for an amazing freshman year,” he wrote on Instagram. “And as always, thankful for my family, friends, doctors, athletic trainers and fans for your support,” James concluded.
While it’s anybody’s guess where the kid ends up, ESPN links him heavily to Duquesne, where his father’s longtime friend and high school teammate Dru Joyce just accepted the head coaching job.
As for his NBA prospects, could we potentially see the Lakers take a flier on him just to make his daddy happy? We already know LeBron essentially runs the team, often overruling head coach Darvin Ham on play calls. He also apparently has a large hand in making personnel decisions, though he strongly denies this.
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 07: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shouts to his son, Bronny James #6 of the USC Trojans, during Bronny’s game against the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion on February 07, 2024 in Berkeley, California. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
I could see him strong-arming ownership into drafting his kid to fulfill his wish of playing with his son. And to be honest, I wouldn’t blame him. That would be an awesome moment. Would I hate wasting draft capital on a 19-year-old bench scrub if I was a Lakers fan? Yep. But I’m not! I’m just a general sporting enthusiast who would love to see the storylines if that happened. Just imagine the headlines.
“LeBron Gives His Son A Time-Out During Lakers Time-Out”
“Lakers Guard Gets Sent To Bed Early By His Teammate/Daddy”
I mean, they just write themselves.