This is some of the best sports news of the year to drop: Bronny James, following a scary cardiac arrest, is officially on his way back and has been medically cleared to play soon for the USC Trojans.
Caleb Williams and the Trojans football team couldn’t quite live up to the hype this year on account of a terrible defense. Even without Bronny in the early going, USC’s men’s hoops team hasn’t fared too terribly. They’re 5-2 and still receiving votes for the AP Top 25. I imagine adding the son of LeBron James to the mix is going to help the cause quite a bit.
Don’t know about you, but even as a sports coverer and frequent documenter of the annual phenomenon that is March Madness in the men’s NCAA Tournament, I find it hard to dig within myself and pay any attention to regular-season college basketball.
Now please do not twist this. Obviously the headline is a bit of a joke, because yes, regular-season ball is relevant in the sense that it determines whether or not you get into the Big Dance. Then there are conference champions, conference tournaments whose winners get automatic NCAA tourney bids, and so on.
We’re still several months away from Selection Sunday. Have I watched a single second of USC basketball’s first seven games? Or a tremendous amount of other college hoops matchups? Absolutely not.
…Will I be glued to the TV once Bronny finally hits the court?
So this is just something you love to hear. It seems like the heart condition Bronny is dealing with is manageable enough for him to continue playing. Of course you want the human to be healthy above all else. The selfishness in all of us wants to see Bronny play as soon as possible.
Realize, too, that Bronny isn’t just a scholarship player for USC because he’s the kid of arguably (not arguable, in my personal opinion) the best basketball player to ever live. According to 247 Sports’ composite rankings, Bronny was the 22nd-ranked prospect in the country coming out of high school, and a top-five combo guard. The young man can ball.
Last point: Remember that one of LeBron’s remaining career ambitions is to play with his son in the NBA. If Bronny starts lighting it up for USC to boost his draft stock, things could get very, very interesting. A team might draft Bronny for the sole reason that LeBron gives them assurances that he’ll either demand a trade from the Lakers, or ultimately go there as a free agent in a year’s time. I can’t wait for that subplot of massive drama, not to mention seeing how far Bronny can take this USC squad.
If you’ve never seen Bronny play and still doubt his merits based on what I’ve said here, take a look at how well he held his own in the McDonald’s All-American Game. You will begin to see what I’m talking about.
