The USC Trojans have now had freshman Bronny James, son of NBA legend LeBron James, in the mix for the past four games – a stretch where they went 1-3 with losses to Long Beach State, Auburn, and Oregon with the only win over Alabama State.
Of course, Bronny is not to blame for the losses – USC was struggling before his return as well – but he also hasn’t helped turn things around quite like people had hoped.
Coach Andy Enfield has brought James along slowly – understandable considering his early season absence was due to a July cardiac arrest – and in 15.5 minutes per game, he is averaging 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 assists while shooting 66.7% (2-3) from two and 33% (4-12) from three.
Stats in such a small sample size don’t tell nearly the full story, but with only 19 regular season games remaining – and the very real potential of not making the NCAA Tournament – it makes sense for James to strongly consider returning to the Trojans for his sophomore season rather than declaring for the 2024 NBA draft.
LeBron has indicated a desire to play in the NBA with his son, and after just turning 39, the urgency for Bronny to get to the league is a factor. Regardless of his performance as a freshman, an NBA team will likely draft Bronny for the potential opportunity to sign LeBron – who is averaging 25.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists this year for the Lakers.
However, a weak Pac-12 gives Bronny very few opportunities to showcase his skills against premier college talent and caps his ability to get valuable development in college.
A return to USC would give him a chance to start in 2024-25 with the departures of both Isaiah Collier, who will be a top pick in 2024, and Boogie Ellis, who is out of eligibility.
Bronny will be in the NBA, but rushing into the league could stunt his development and actually hurt his long-term potential, while a return to college could make him a more polished all-around prospect – and after all, it sure doesn’t look like his dad is slowing down like most players his age.