It’s finally official: Bronny James is going to be the University of South California’s next Trojan! The oldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is a college-bound student-athlete since signing his letter of intent to USC on Wednesday.
After months of speculation, Bronny revealed the next step of his basketball journey two weeks ago, announcing his decision to join Andy Enfield’s team at USC. He immediately became one of college basketball’s biggest recruiting dominoes to fall.
Welcome to the Trojan Family, Bronny James! pic.twitter.com/VJgkB7qj3b
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) May 10, 2023
Flanked by his mother, Savannah James and his younger brother Bryce James (an aspiring baller himself), a smiling Bronny sat in front of a banner displaying the logos of his high school, Sierra Canyon and wearing a USC Trojans shirt as he inked his decision onto paper.
Noticeably absent was his dad, arguably one of the greatest hoopers in the world, and understandably so as he prepares for Game 2 in the Western Conference Finals matchup against the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday. The 38-year-old still managed to set time aside to celebrate the occasion, sending his son some love via Instagram.
Bronny will be the first of the James family to go to college, as LeBron went straight to the league from high school. The NBA legend said he was “so damn happy and proud” to see his boy locked into the Trojans for (at least) the 2023-24 season.
The proud father shared the moment on his Instagram page on Thursday, even telling fans in a touching message that he shed a tear over the accomplishment.
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After fellow guard Isaiah Collier, Bronny will be the second McDonald’s All-American to sign with USC this year. The team has made the past three NCAA tournaments with a talented roster, yet is thin at guard, according to head coach Andy Enfield, per Sports Illustrated.
“All our guards have a great opportunity to play for us because we don’t have a ton of guards,” Enfield told ESPN. “We have some opportunity for those guys to carve out a nice role for them, and in Bronny’s case, we don’t promise starting spots, but the nice thing is I think all of our guards will play good minutes for us this year.”
The athlete announced his decision in an Instagram post earlier this month.
“Fight On ✌🏾 #committed,” the outgoing senior wrote in his caption, where he donned his Sierra Canyon High School uniform in the Trojans’ locker room at the Galen Center.
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ESPN reports that Bronny is currently considered one of the top five point guards in the country. Since his amateur career took off, he’s risen through the ranks, now considered the 9th-ranked prospect in his 2023 class and listed on 24/7sports.com as a five-star recruit, the fourth-best prospect in California, the fifth-best combo guard and the 21st-best prospect in the country.
Additionally, he is projected to be a top-ten pick in the 2024 draft. LeBron has previously said he hopes to play with his sons before he retires. ESPN’s projections have USC as a #5 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, and it would be the team’s highest seeding since 2007 if proven true.
“One of the best days of my life,” the proud dad called Bronny’s announcement, speaking with Spectrum SportsNet.
@espn LeBron couldn’t lose today ❤️ #lebronjames #bronnyjames #nba #lakers #fatherson
“Super duper proud, super emotional, but just super duper excited and happy for his journey,” LeBron said.
All eyes will likely be on the incoming freshman once the college basketball season begins to see if he continues to live up to the James name.
Congrats to Bronny and the James Gang!
