Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, poses with his son Bronny after Sierra Canyon defeated Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in a high school basketball game Dec. 14, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio. Bronny James will enter the NBA draft after one season at Southern California that was shortened by his recovery from cardiac arrest. The 19-year-old son of LeBron James announced Friday, April 5, 2024, on his Instagram account that he also plans to retain his college eligibility and will enter the transfer portal. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
Bronny James has been in the spotlight since he was a little kid and things have not changed now that he is in college. In 2023 he committed to the University of Southern California coming out from Sierra Canyon High School. His stats where good enough to make doubters into believers.
The son of LeBron James averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game, something that also helped increase his NIL (name, image and likeness) value.
At that point, his valuation was reported to be near $5.9 million, all thanks to many lucrative deals with worldwide known brands such as Nike and Beats by Dre. Everything appeared to be on its way to increasing even more than that value, but a health matter prevented that from happening.
On July 24, 2023, Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest while practicing with his USC teammates at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. He was away from basketball for five months and his NIL value was not affected much at the time, however that changed quickly.
When he rejoined the team in December, the numbers changed, and it had a lot to do with what happened on the court. Bronny James played in 25 games and averaged only 4.8 points per game with 2.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds just over 19 minutes. The team didnt qualified to the NCAA Tournament and his NIL value went down from $4.7 million to $4.5 million.
After Bronnys decision to enter the transfer portal but also enter de NBA Draft, he has received negative comments for using the NCAA as a fallback plan in case thing dont workout. LeBron James has been vocal about his son and his decisions.
"Can y'all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball... The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y'all don't know he doesn't care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!," LeBron wrote on social media.
By the end of the last season, Bronny James lost $0.8 million, but if his dads wish comes true and the Los Angeles Lakers end up drafting him and they can play together for at least one year, the young James can increase his NIL quick.
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