Bronny James makes celebrated debut; USC falls to Long Beach State in OT

For Bronny James, it’s only just the beginning.

His first game at the collegiate level came with a sellout crowd, a standing ovation, a windmill dunk in pregame warmups, and yes, a chasedown block. Oh, and lots of videos taken by his famous father from the stands.

James made his much-anticipated debut with the USC Trojans on Sunday, several months after going into cardiac arrest during a workout on campus. He played 16 minutes, finishing with four points on 1-of-3 shooting, as USC coach Andy Enfield is slowly working James into the rotation. His first and only field goal came via a 3-pointer in the second half. And the crowd erupted.

But despite all the buzz, USC blew a 15-point lead and suffered an 84-79 defeat in overtime to underdog Long Beach State. It certainly didn’t help that the Trojans missed 16 free throws in a close game, including a few at the end that could’ve sealed it.

Bronny James. Chasedown block in first game at USC. pic.twitter.com/cGjU9VrzLY

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) December 10, 2023

James humbly answered questions from reporters at USC’s Galen Center, sitting next to Enfield and thanking his coaches, his teammates, his parents and medical personnel.

There will be plenty more to come, with more buzz and every basketball-obsessed eye watching his every move.

Meanwhile, USC has been a bit of an early-season disappointment, starting in the Top 25 but quickly dropping out after losses to UC Irvine, Oklahoma, Gonzaga, and now, Long Beach State.

Perhaps Bronny, who is currently on a minutes restriction, can help change all that. After all, LeBron James once did it for the Cavaliers.

Bronny also finished with three rebounds, two assists and two steals in his debut, and went 1-of-2 on free throws.

USC’s Bronny James with a brief statement thanking the Mayo Clinic, his coach and teammates after making his college debut in OT loss to Long Beach State pic.twitter.com/Fsj4Holm3H

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 10, 2023