USC Basketball

Bronny James thanked medical staff and his USC teammates for helping him return to college basketball after suffering cardiac arrest in July.

The eldest son of LeBron James made his USC debut Sunday during an 84-79 overtime loss to Long Beach State.

"I just wanted to say I'm thankful for everything," James said after the game. "The Mayo Clinic, for everything they helped me with. My parents, siblings, for supporting me through this hard time in my life. I just want to give appreciation to everyone that's helped me through this."

"Also my coach, teammates, all my other coaches that have been with me since the start, I just want to say I'm thankful for them."

James recorded four points, three rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes in his college debut for the Trojans.

The Trojans had already planned to limit James' minutes coming off the bench prior to the game, according to the Orange County Register's Luca Evans.

LeBron James was in the crowd and saw Bronny's debut, including the three-pointer that marked James' first college basket and earned the 19-year-old a standing ovation from the crowd.

After being cleared to play at the end of November and participating in limited pre-game warmups since December 2, James returned to full-contact practice Thursday.

That marked his first time practicing with the Trojans in a full capacity since undergoing surgery to treat the congenital heart defect that likely caused him to suffer sudden cardiac arrest during a July 24 workout.

The James family said in previous statements that both the emergency response by USC medical staff and follow-up exams in Los Angeles and Minnesota helped identify and treat the probable cause of the cardiac arrest.

Similar to his son, LeBron James gave the clinics and USC staff a shoutout during the Los Angeles Lakers' media day in October.

"I give the biggest thanks to the USC training and coaching staff. ... I also want to thank Cedars-Sinai and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and anywhere else that had anything to do with his recovery," LeBron James said.

James is set to play the first road game of his USC career next Sunday at Auburn.

Bronny James is back on a basketball court.

The USC freshman guard made his college debut on Sunday against Long Beach State in a 84-79 overtime loss for the Trojans, his first action since suffering cardiac arrest back in July during a workout.

It wasn't a particularly notable performance on the court, as James came off the bench and managed just four points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. No surprises there, as he was on a minutes restriction. And it was an even worse day for USC in general, which dropped to 5-4 on the season after the shocking loss to Long Beach State (7-4).

But the fact that he was recovered fully from his scary incident in July—alongside the hype that naturally comes with being LeBron James' son—had the greater basketball world excited to see him back on the court Sunday:

James was only cleared to return to the court on Nov. 30, and the Trojans are bringing him back up to speed slowly.

"It's just going to be a feel for how the game's going, how he's playing, how he feels physically," head coach Andy Enfield told reporters last week. "[Sunday will] be very emotional for him as well as his teammates. But as the game progresses, I think he'll settle in, and we'll just play it half by half and see where he is."

James, who was ultimately diagnosed with a treatable congenital heart defect, was a 4-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon high school and considered the No. 28 overall prospect in the Class of 2023, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings.

He's been under a magnifying glass since he stepped on an high school court, given his famous father, so it was no surprise that his college debut was a spectacle. But he didn't appear to be fazed by the moment.

He likely wasn't happy with the final result, however.

USC announced a sellout for the Trojans' upcoming matchup with Long Beach State on Sunday, as Bronny James is expected to make his college basketball debut.

The Trojans have jumped out to a 5-3 record this season without James as he's worked towards a return to the floor. The freshman suffered a cardiac arrest during a practice on July 24, putting his future on the court in doubt.

The likely cause of James' cardiac arrest was a congenital heart defect that was also considered treatable, according to ESPN's Myron Medcalf. His recovery process went smoothly and he was cleared by doctors for a full return to basketball on Nov. 30.

James' college debut has generated lots of attention, as fans are excited to see how the No. 28-ranked player in the 2023 recruiting class looks in his first Pac-12 game action (per 247Sports). LeBron James himself wasn't able to contain his excitement about his son's first game when speaking to reporters this week.

"Looking forward to that for sure," said James after he was asked about Bronny's first game. "Super excited for that moment. One, I can't wait to see him run out with his teammates. And once he checks into the game, it's gonna be a big moment for our family."

Tip-off will be at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.

USC men's basketball coach Andy Enfield said there are "all indications" freshman Bronny James will make his college debut Sunday at home against Long Beach State, per Orange County Register's Luca Evans.

"He feels great, looks good," Enfield said.

James returned to full-contact practice Thursday for the first time since undergoing surgery to treat a congenital heart defect, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.

The oldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will practice again Friday before the team decides about his status Sunday, per Youngmisuk.

If James plays, his minutes will be restricted, Evans noted.

James was hospitalized for three days after suffering cardiac arrest during USC practice on July 24. He later underwent surgery on a congenital heart defect.

He began joining the team for limited pregame warm-ups on November 19. The James family announced on November 30 that he had been cleared to play.

Enfield said in August that James can "help our team win."

"He's a terrific basketball player and was playing very well [before the cardiac arrest]," Enfield said before the season, per the Associated Press. "We all think there is a big upside in his game."

The Trojans are 5-3 heading into Sunday, including a 3-1 record at home, as they look to qualify for a fourth straight NCAA tournament.

It doesn't seem like college basketball fans will have to wait much longer to see Bronny James take the court.

"Bronny has not been cleared fully yet from USC," Trojans head coach Andy Enfield said Monday, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "He can participate without contact. He's done a good job of getting his conditioning and his strength back and I think he's on the path to being ready to play very quickly."

As Youngmisuk noted, James, who suffered cardiac arrest in July, was cleared by doctors to return to basketball but has been just a limited participant in practice.

He has not taken part in full-contact practice.

"We hope to get Bronny on the court as soon as possible," Enfield said. "The heart specialist, the doctors at USC, those are people that have to give the approval [to clear James for full-contact practice] and I know they're working diligently on the whole process. I commend them for all they've done as part of this."

James, who is the son of NBA legend LeBron James, was a 5-star prospect in the class of 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

When the time does come for the younger James to play in a game, LeBron plans on being there even if he has to miss his own contest:

USC could certainly use James on the court following an inconsistent start to the season. It is just 5-3 with losses to Gonzaga, Oklahoma and UC Irvine ahead of Pac-12 play.

Its next game is Sunday against Long Beach State.

Bronny James has been cleared to return to the basketball court.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium shared a statement Thursday from a James family spokesperson that revealed the USC freshman now has a clear timeline to return to the floor following the cardiac arrest he suffered in July:

"Bronny James is now cleared by his doctors for a full return to basketball. Bronny will have a final evaluation with USC staff this week, resume practice next week, and return to games soon after. The James family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible medical team, the entire USC community, and especially the countless friends, family, and fans for their love and support."

Things have seemingly been trending in this direction based on multiple updates from NBA great LeBron James, who is Bronny's father.

"Bronny is doing extremely well," LeBron said in October, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf. "He has begun his rehab process to get back on the floor this season with his teammates at USC. The successful surgery that he had ... he's on the up and up. It's definitely a whirlwind and a lot of emotions for our family this summer, but the best thing we have is each other."

He used similar language in an update earlier this month:

The James family released a statement in August revealing a congenital heart defect was the likely cause of the cardiac arrest. Even that statement said the expectation was Bronny would return to the court "in the very near future."

While the younger James may still be best known because of his famous father, he was a 5-star prospect in his own right, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

His return will provide an immediate boost to a Trojans team that is 5-2 on the season with wins over Kansas State and Seton Hall but losses to Oklahoma and UC Irvine. It is scheduled to face Gonzaga in a highly anticipated matchup on Saturday.

The Trojans' Pac-12 conference schedule starts on Dec. 28 with a road game at Oregon.

Bronny James appears to be inching closer to making his college basketball debut after suffering a cardiac arrest in July.

USC Trojans head coach Andy Enfield told reporters Wednesday that James would go through warm-ups ahead of Thursday's matchup against Seton Hall.

"Other than that we have to be patient and wait for the OK," Enfield said. "It's a step-by-step process and we're just following that."

It'll mark the second straight game that James will participate in warm-ups after also doing so prior to Sunday's win over Brown.

James went into cardiac arrest during a USC workout in July and underwent surgery to repair what the James family said was a likely congenital heart defect.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James told reporters on Nov. 6 that if his son passed a medical exam this month, he would return to practice with the intention of returning to the court this season.

"Today's game was the first game he got an opportunity to warm up with his team," LeBron LeBron James said. "So, he's almost there. ... He's almost there."

James, a freshman guard out of Sierra Canyon, committed to USC after receiving offers from the Ohio State Buckeyes and Memphis Tigers, teaming up with one of the top recruits in the country in Isaiah Collier. He was the 28th-ranked prospect in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports.

As a senior at Sierra Canyon, Bronny averaged 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 steals. He participated in the McDonald's All-American game in March and notched 15 points, four assists and two steals.

James will be eligible for the NBA draft after this season and there is speculation that he will make the jump to play alongside his father immediately.

The Trojans enter Thursday's matchup with a 3-1 record. Their only loss came to UC Irvine last week.

Bronny James continues working toward his debut for USC after partaking in pregame warmups for the first time before Sunday's 81-70 win over Brown.

"Today's game was the first game he got an opportunity to warm up with his team," Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James told reporters of his son. "So, he's almost there. ... He's almost there."

Bronny suffered cardiac arrest while working out on the court in July. He remains a member of the USC team, and LeBron said on Nov. 6 his son intends to suit up once he passed a physical.

Trojans head coach Andy Enfield remains unsure when the 19-year-old will be fully cleared, though.

"He went through warmups with the team," he said of James' pregame involvement. "He's a big part of our program and our team. He's a terrific teammate. We look forward to hopefully one day getting him back on the court but when that day is, that's not my decision. We're going to patient and go through the process."

James was the most closely followed star in the 2023 recruiting class thanks to a mix of his family name and his individual exploits on the court. He was the No. 22 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings, and he has garnered some NBA draft buzz.

The hype around USC was especially strong because Enfield also signed Isaiah Collier, the top-ranked prep player in the country.

The Trojans have gotten off to a 3-1 start with Sunday's win. The rest of their nonconference slate includes a Dec. 2 matchup with No. 11 Gonzaga, and they begin Pac-12 play with a Dec. 28 road game against Oregon.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James gave a positive update on his son, Bronny, as the younger James' USC Trojans started their season Monday.

The King said "everything is on the up and up" with his son's recovery from a cardiac arrest he suffered during a workout in July that left him hospitalized for three days. He also said things are trending toward Bronny eventually joining the Trojans this season if he is officially cleared.

The latest update comes after the older James used similar language when he talked about Bronny's recovery during Lakers' media day last month.

"Bronny is doing extremely well," James told reporters at the time. "He has begun his rehab process to get back on the floor this season with his teammates at USC. The successful surgery that he had ... he's on the up and up. It's definitely a whirlwind and a lot of emotions for our family this summer, but the best thing we have is each other."

USC coach Andy Enfield expressed to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman in August that the main focus was on James being healthy even though there was still hope he would play in 2023-24.

The James family released a statement this summer that said a congenital heart defect was the likely cause of the cardiac arrest incident.

There was plenty of optimism surrounding the younger James when he arrived at USC considering he is the son of one of the game's all-time greats. He was also a 5-star prospect and the No. 22 overall player in the class of 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

His absence didn't stop the Trojans from being ranked No. 21 in the initial Associated Press Top 25 rankings to start the season.

USC began its campaign Monday with a matchup against Kansas State and also plays Seton Hall, Gonzaga and Auburn in nonconference play before its final season in the Pac-12 prior to a move to the Big Ten.

Christmas came about two months early for the USC men's and women's basketball programs.

Ahead of their respective season openers on Monday and Tuesday, the Trojans were gifted pairs of "Reverse Grinch" Kobe 6s by none other than Vanessa Bryant, the wife of the late, great NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

The unreleased kicks aren't even supposed to hit the market until Dec. 16 and are one of the most anticipated drops of the year, according to Sneaker News.

There surely won't be many other teams or players rocking the "Reverse Grinches" at all this season, much less in their opener. The 21-ranked women's team can be seen wearing them in their opener against No. 7 Ohio State on Monday night.

Bryant's daughter Natalia is currently attending USC and is majoring in film.