Less than twenty-four hours after LeBron James claimed a different role, he had already won a title a few hours east of here.

On Sunday afternoon, LeBron James casually entered the Galen Center during the playing of the national anthem prior to the USC Trojans’ game against Long Beach State. Even though it was only a preseason nonconference match that the Trojans lost in overtime, Bronny James—LeBron’s son—made his court debut just five months after his father had a heart collapse in the same venue.

Holding his daughter Zhuri’s hand, LeBron and his family made their way to their courtside seats in the sold-out arena. The previous night, LeBron had assisted the Los Angeles Lakers in defeating the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in the NBA’s in-season tournament championship game, which took place in Las Vegas. Around the seven-minute mark of the first quarter, LeBron was already standing up and holding his phone. His son’s first login to the game was something that, a few months earlier, didn’t appear likely to happen, so he wаnted to capture the occasion, like any proud dad would.

“I simply wish to express my gratitude for everything,” Bronny stated in a solemn tone following the defeat. My family—my parents and siblings—for being there for me during this tough time, and the Mayo Clinic for their assistance. To everyone who has helped me through this, I simply want to express my gratitude.

In his USC debut following a cardiac crisis, Bronny James received a standing ovation.

On July 24, not long after arriving on campus, Bronny—a former four-star recruit—had a heart arrest and fell during a basketball practice with USC. He was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) and then released three days later after being transported to the hospital. Bronny had surgery to correct a treatable congenital heart condition, which his family only revealed later on.

Just 139 days have passed since then.

In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Bronny gradually increased his basketball activities, and he was ultimately cleared to rejoin to the squad. Earlier this week, Bronny made his full recovery and returned to practices.

A lot of people have been through a lot emotionally, but Bronny has had much worse, according to head coach Andy Enfield. He’s done an excellent job of handling it, and having supportive teammates and staff is a huge relief in times of emotional distress. Bronny was well-supported by his teammates. We’re all thrilled for him because he’s back now.

It was always intended that Bronny would come off the bench on Sunday afternoon. About seven minutes into the match, he checked in and was met with a thunderous standing ovation.

As soon as James touched the ball in his first three-plus minute run on the floor, the entire crowd appeared to be on the verge of losing their composure. A clamor comparable to that of any other player making a buzzer-beаter accompanied his first defensive possession, in which he almost stole the ball but poked it away.

Bronny came back into the game towards the end of the half and produced a highlight reel-style performance, just like his dad.

The Trojans went up by double digits after only one possession thanks to a brilliant dunk by center Vincent Iwuchukwu, set up by Bronny’s clever pass. However, Bronny pulled Enfield’s shirt and motioned for him to exit the game almost two minutes after he made his return.

By the end of the second half, Bronny had made his first collegiate basket after receiving a pass in transition and drilling a wide-open 3-pointer. A lengthy run by Long Beach State was halted by the shot, which also set fιre to the Galen Center.

Despite having a 15-point lead at halftime, USC was unable to hold Long Beach State and lost the game in the waning minutes. After Bronny went down with a little over two minutes to go, the 49ers took the lead early in overtime and stunneԀ the Trojans with an upset victory of 84–79. Despite a 20-for-36 free throw shooting performance, USC only managed five points in the extra period.

In accordance with the minutes restriction he has been granted, Bronny played 17 minutes, according to Edfield. Four points, three boards, and two assists were Bronny’s final stats. After opening the season ranked 21st in the nation, USC has dropped to 5-4 after dropping three of its previous four games.

With any luck, Bronny will keep playing an ever larger part for the squad in the weeks to come. Both Enfield and the Trojans are aware of his abilities in that regard. However, with these losses piling up before Pac-12 play begins, USC has a lot of work to do beyond just bringing Bronny up to speed.

“We recruited Bronny James because he’s a very good basketball player,” stated Enfield. Now that he is back on the floor, we anticipate him to continue improving. After enduring a terrible ordeal, he has worked tirelessly to recover and return to this point. As a basketball squad, we need to improve, and he must also continue to develop his game. We’re totally devoted to that.