In the latest step in his attempt to follow his legendary father’s footsteps, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. will test the NBA Draft waters in the coming months, he said.
In a post to his Instagram Friday morning, James thanked USC, where he spent just one season, and announced his intention to declare for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility. The NBA allows prospects to meet and work out for teams to receive feedback on their potential draft position without forfeiting their ability to return to college hoops.
Regardless of whether he keeps his name in the draft pool or not, it appears that James’ days playing for USC would be coming to an end. He also announced he’d be entering the NCAA’s transfer portal, allowing him to move to another school if he chooses to play out his sophomore year.
“I’ve had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student and athlete,” James said in his announcement. “Thank you to USC for an amazing Freshman year, and as always thankful for my family, friends, doctors, athletic trainers and fans for their support.”
The “downs” James refers to likely references a major health scare he had in pre-season workouts with USC last year. James, 18 at the time, suffered a cardiac arrest caused by a heart defect on July 24. He spent three days in the hospital and wasn’t cleared to make his college basketball debut until December.
In his freshman season with the Trojans, James averaged 19 minutes per game in 25 appearances. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2 assists in a primarily off-the-bench role.
His declaration for June’s draft could come as a surprise to many, as James hasn’t been talked about as a top prospect. There is speculation, however, that his future Hall of Famer father could be preparing to make a move to whichever team takes a chance on James.
LeBron, 39, has said his last season would be spent playing with his son, although that was before Bronny’s stint with USC. LeBron, who is in his sixth year with the Los Angeles Lakers, can be a free agent following the season if he chooses not to exercise a player option for 2024-25.