Bronny James joins a very long line of famous USC students
Bronny James is certainly catapulting USC men’s basketball into a whole new world of media attention and visibility. That’s new. What isn’t new is USC providing security and other accommodations for its famous students, the sons and daughters of public figures who are known not just across the United States, but throughout the world.
Myron Medcalf of ESPN has more on this particular topic:
“Police Chief Lauretta Hill, who leads USC’s department of public safety, said her office is always concerned about the possibility that an athlete’s popularity could impact their safety. But the school’s experience with celebrities and others with high profiles means it will be prepared for his arrival, she said.
“Last week, Sasha Obama — daughter of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama — graduated from the school. Her parents, and the Secret Service officers who accompany them everywhere, were in attendance. Princess Salma bint Abdullah, daughter of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan, graduated from USC last week, too. She comes from a royal family with a net worth of $750 million. Natalia Bryant, daughter of the late Kobe Bryant, currently studies at the school.”
For more context, Medcalf talked to a USC professor and published author:
“‘If you go to Lexington, Kentucky, you’re going to stand out,’ said Todd Boyd, author of “Young, Black, Rich, and Famous: The Rise of the NBA, the Hip Hop Invasion, and the Transformation of American Culture” and a professor at USC. ‘It’s not a place you associate with famous people. If you go to Durham, North Carolina, or Lawrence, Kansas, you’re going to stand out. Eugene, Oregon? You’re going to stand out, because these are not places we associate with celebrities and famous people.
“‘I mean, Bronny is going to get a lot of attention. People know him from social media. He will get attention when [LeBron James] comes and sits courtside to watch him play. That’s going to get attention. All these things are going to get attention, but it’s not new [in L.A.].'”
