Bronny James commits to USC; LeBron James' son stays close to home, chooses Trojans over Oregon and Ohio State
Bronny James has finally made his college decision after months of speculation and a recruitment that was kept completely under wraps. The oldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is staying close to home in Los Angeles and is a huge get for USC head coach Andy Enfield and staff.
James chose the Trojans over Ohio State and Oregon, announcing the decision via Instagram on Saturday.
James will join the top guard in his senior class, Isaiah Collier, and Collier’s high school teammate, four-star power forward Arrinten Page. Collier and James have already started to build chemistry and get used to playing with one another in the backcourt after being teammates in a pair of all-star games in April.
“It's been great playing with him,” Collier told Yahoo Sports. “Just these last couple of weeks and getting to know each other as players. He's a great shooter. I'm a great passer and, yeah, my pitch to him is just to stay home and we can really play well together.”
James played his high school career at Sierra Canyon High School (Chatsworth, Calif.) alongside current NBA players Ziaire Williams, Memphis Grizzlies wing, and Brandon Boston Jr., a Los Angeles Clippers guard, and as well as top prospects Amari Bailey and Isaiah Elohim.
The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals during his senior season and was one of the most improved players in his class from his junior to senior years. Sierra Canyon won the Mission League title in three of his four years on the team, and James received two of the highest honors for high school boys basketball players when he was named a McDonald’s All-American and selected to play on Team USA for Nike Hoop Summit.
James capped off his high school season on a high note in both games, playing in front of his dad and the rest of his family. First in the McDonald’s All-American Game, he went 5-for-8 from 3-point range, finishing with 15 points and adding 4 assists. A week later at the Nike Hoop Summit, he finished with 11 points and 4 rebounds in the 90-84 Team USA win over Team World. Both events were packed with over 100 NBA scouts and executives getting early looks at future NBA Draft picks.
“I just want to show them [NBA scouts] that I can play and I belong here,” James told reporters after a practice session at Nike Hoop Summit. “A lot of people don't think I should be here and I'm just here to prove that I do belong [with this group].”
The Trojans finished last season with a 22-11 record, second in the Pac-12 and were a 10-seed in the NCAA tournament, losing to Michigan State in the first round.
