Lebron James’ son Bronny plays for the USC Trojans for the first time since suffering a heart attack

Bronny, LeBron James’ eldest son, made his debut with the USC Trojans (5-4) on Sunday - little more than five months after suffering a heart attack. The teenage student ended on the losing side, losing 84-79 to Long Beach State Beach (7-4). Bronny started the match from the bench and played 16 minutes - a restriction established by coach Andy Enfield. The first-year player hit one of the three three-pointers he attempted to finish with four points thanks to a free throw and accumulated two assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block.

The 19-year-old emulated his father with his blocking off the board. With 4:47 left in the first half, Jadon Jones attempted a layup after a steal by Isa Silva, but Bronny James made a brutal block off the glass. Then, with 21 seconds on the clock, the son of the four-time NBA champion had the opportunity to extend his team’s lead with two free throws, but he only made the second and the score was 72-74 before Marcus Tsohonis will tie it and force extra time.

The guard was cleared to play by the USC medical team on Sunday morning after he was able to take part in practices on Thursday and Friday prior to the game against Long Beach State. The incident took place on July 24 of this year and James was hospitalized for three days to treat a congenital heart defect. A statement issued by the family at the time explained that the teenager’s sudden cardiac arrest was an “anatomically and functionally significant congenital heart defect which can and will be treated”.

The most notable players in Bronny James' debut with the USC Trojans

The game between Long Beach State and Southern California was decided in overtime. For the locals, the best scorer Marcus Tsohonis with 28 points supported by Jadon Jones 18 points each while the offensive responsibility of the Trojans was distributed between Vincent Iwuchukwu (15 pts), Isaiah Collier (15 pts) and Boogie Ellis (14 pts).