LeBron James says Bronny James’ debut at USC will be bigger than Lakers game

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James said he misses every time his son, Southern California freshman guard Bronny James, makes his debut for the Trojans.

In July, Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest while practicing with Trojans teammates and underwent surgery to repair a congenital heart defect. He was cleared to play Thursday, start training next week and be eligible to play “shortly.”

“Whenever he’s cleared and ready to play his first game, I’ve told my teammates that if they play on the same day that we play, I’m going to have to catch them in the next game,” James said after a game Thursday night. Lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder. “Family above all else…but whenever Bronny is cleared and ready to play, he’s definitely going to see his first game.”

It’s unclear when Bronny James will make his debut at USC, which started the 2023 season with a 5-2 record.

The Trojans have two home games this month (at Gonzaga on Saturday and Long Beach State on Dec. 10) and four road games, including two at Alabama (at Auburn on Dec. 17, Dec. 19 at Alabama) and Dec. 28-30 at Oregon. The Lakers will host the Charlotte Hornets on December 28 and face the Timberwolves on December 30 in Minnesota.

“Our family is very excited for Bronny. The same goes for USC. This is what he’s been working towards over the last 12 weeks,” LeBron James said. “It’s definitely going to be very satisfying for him to be able to do what he loves and be back with his teammates and put on a uniform and things like that.”