When No. 21 USC took the floor against Kansas State on Monday in Las Vegas it was without star freshman guard Bronny James. The son of NBA superstar LeBron James didn't play in the Trojans' season opener after going into cardiac arrest during a preseason practice on July 24, according to USC. He was rushed to the hospital and further testing revealed a congenital heart defect.
James hasn't practiced with USC this season and he didn't play in the overseas trip to Greece and Croatia when the Trojans played in a three-game summer tour. But there is still a chance Bronny will suit up during the 2023-24 season. LeBron James told reporters Monday night that everything with Bronny is "on the up and up" and his oldest son is scheduled for a check-up later this month and that, if all goes well, he could return to practice.
Last month, the elder James said his son started rehab and he hopes to return to the court at some point this season. James received a positive prognosis after his health scare and his physicians expect him to make a full recovery. The former four-star prospect ranked as the No. 28 player in the 2023 recruiting cycle by 247Sports and helped the Trojans finish No. 3 in the 2023 team rankings.
"Bronny is doing extremely well," James said at Lakers Media Day on Oct. 2. "He has begun his rehab process to get back on the floor this season with his teammates at USC. (With) the successful surgery that he had, he's on the up-and-up. It's definitely a whirlwind, a lot of emotions for our family this summer. But the best thing we have is each other and we stuck behind each other and gave each other strength through the whole process. We are happy to see where he is today and we look forward to seeing what his future still has in store for him."
What does his absence mean for USC?
Not having James for the start of the season was expected due to the timeline of the cardiac arrest occurring, but nonetheless, it's still a major blow for the Trojans and college basketball as a whole. James is one of the most hyped-up collegiate athletes of the modern era because of his last name and the role he was expected to play right away for a Final Four hopeful. James wasn't the best player from the 2023 recruiting cycle and he's not even the best newcomer on his own team, but his absence will still be felt.
James is the perfect role player that can complement Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier in the backcourt because of his high basketball IQ and his willingness to be unselfish. James is very active on the defensive end and he is the kind of player that can impact winning when the game matters come March. The Trojans still have a very talented roster without James in the equation, but they will still need him back if they want to maximize their full potential this season.
Will James return to the court?
No official timeline has been given by James' camp or the school on when he expects to return, but it's safe to say that he will miss the first few games of the season. James hasn't returned to practice and he will need to ramp up his conditioning in order to have a smooth return to play transition. USC big man Vincent Iwuchukwu suffered a cardiac arrest incident last summer and missed the first 16 games of the 2022-23 season. For that reason alone, the Trojans aren't going to rush James back into basketball action.
James was viewed as a potential lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft if things went well at USC. Even if he misses the first few weeks of the season, James will still have plenty of time to live up to that billing. It helps the Trojans only have one Top 25 nonconference opponent on the schedule (Gonzaga on Dec. 2) before Pac-12 conference play ramps up at the turn of the calendar year.
