Bronny James is still not ready to make his debut with USC, but he warmed up with his Trojans teammates for the first time on Sunday afternoon, marking another milestone in his return after he experienced cardiac arrest earlier this summer.
Bronny, the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, was with No. 16 USC and warmed up normally before the Trojans’ 81-70 win over Brown on Sunday at the Galen Center.
Bronny James out warming up pregame for USC hoops before tonight’s game against Brown. Kobe Johnson and Boogie Ellis, who both missed last game v. UCI, are also warming up. pic.twitter.com/i8s2IEuT4m
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) November 20, 2023
“It was great. He went through warmups with the team. He’s a big part of our program and our team. He’s a terrific teammate,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said, via The Associated Press. “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 be patient and go through the process.”
Bronny experienced cardiac arrest during a workout with USC earlier this summer. He was rushed to the hospital and was in the ICU and was released three days later. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and underwent surgery after the incident. He has been recovering since.
LeBron said earlier this month that Bronny was scheduled for a checkup at the end of the month. If he’s cleared there, LeBron said, Bronny will start practicing with the intent to play for the Trojans this season. Specifics regarding such a timeline are not known.
Bronny was a four-star Rivals.com recruit coming out of high school, and he received offers from Oregon, Ohio State, Memphis and others. He has been with the team in his recovery and has worked out with the Trojans privately, but Sunday was the first time he warmed up with the team ahead of a game.
USC got past Brown behind 28 points from Boogie Ellis on Sunday night in another tight home game for the Trojans. Freshman Isaiah Collier added 24 points in the win, and Kobe Johnson had 14. USC shot 12-of-24 from the 3-point line, half of which belonged to Ellis. The win came on the heels of a rough 10-point loss to UC Irvine on Tuesday night.
The Trojans will take on Seton Hall at the Rady’s Children’s Invitational tournament in San Diego on Thanksgiving, where either Iowa or Oklahoma will be waiting for them on Friday.
