LeBron James proudly watched his son, Bronny James, make his collegiate debut for the USC Trojans on Sunday night.
Following the game, LeBron took to Instagram to express the depth of his emotions as he watched his son play.
“Can’t even tell y’all how EMOTIONAL today was for me! I’m literally drained and all I can say is @bronny you’re simply INCREDIBLE!! Damn the wins and loses that will occur. You’ve already won the ultimate goal/championship and that’s LIFE!!! Proud of you kid and today you’ve given me more life! Thank you and I love you,” James wrote on Instagram.
In a highly anticipated debut, Bronny James showcased his skills on the court in a game against Long Beach State. Playing under a restricted minutes regimen (16 minutes), James demonstrated his resilience, finishing the game with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block off the bench.
However, despite his noteworthy return, Long Beach State secured a 84-79 overtime victory at the Galen Center.
Bronny James’ journey back to the court was no easy feat. The 19-year-old suffered a life-threatening cardiac arrest during a USC practice on July 24. Following a procedure to address a congenital heart defect, Bronny received the green light from doctors to resume playing on November 30.
In his first comments to the media since the health scare, Bronny expressed gratitude for the support he received.
“I just want to say I’m thankful for everything,” James said. “Mayo Clinic, everything they helped me with, my parents, siblings for supporting me through this hard time in my life.”
He continued, “I just want to give appreciation to everyone that’s helped me through this. Also, my coach, my teammates, all my other coaches. They’ve been with me since the start and I just want to say I’m thankful for them.”
The return of Bronny James wasn’t just a personal triumph; it was a family celebration. LeBron James, along with his family and Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, were part of a sellout crowd of 9,806, witnessing the eldest son of the Lakers superstar make his mark on the collegiate stage.
