Bronny James has received medical clearance to resume practice and finally make his debut for USC. The announcement came via a statement from the James family earlier today. “Bronny will have a final evaluation with USC staff this week, resume practice next week, and return to games soon after. The James family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible medical team, the entire USC community, and especially the countless friends, family, and fans for their love and support. Fight On!" the statement, shared by Shams Charania, read.
Bronny has missed USC's first seven games, in which they have gone 5-2. The Trojans were upset by UC Irvine before losing to Oklahoma at the Rady Children's Invitational. The Trojans' next game features their first ranked opponent of the season - No. 11 Gonzaga. The James family statement did not give a timetable for Bronny's debut. However, USC will likely sit him until January out of precaution. The Trojans' first game of 2024 is a Pac-12 matchup against Cal on January 3.
Bronny Dances At USC
However, Bronny has made sure to remain around the team as the season got underway. Bronny made an appearance at the annual Trojan HoopLA but did not participate in the athletic festivities. The event is used to introduce the school's team for the season and have the athletes put on some displays of skill. James was all smiles as he was introducing, hitting some sweet moves to "Teach Me How To Dougie" by Cali Swag District. However, that was the extent of James' evening as he sat out the skills competition, dunk contest, and 3-point competition.
As for the cardiac arrest that derailed the start of his college career, experts diagnosed it as a congenital heart defect. Bronny has reportedly undergone surgery to address the issue, which will need to be monitored for the rest of his life but is no longer a major concern. However, he is the second USC player in two years to suffer a preseason cardiac arrest.
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