Bronny James' Commitment to USC Hailed by Twitter as 'Perfect Fit' for LeBron's Son
May 6, 2023
Bronny James is staying close to home for college after announcing he will play basketball for USC this fall.
The son of LeBron James has lived in Los Angeles for a significant portion of his life, so it's not a surprise he would want to stay in that area. It also makes financial sense to take advantage of NIL opportunities in Southern California.
Per On3.com, Bronny James is, by far, the most valuable NIL athlete with a $5.9 million valuation. LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne ranks second at $3.4 million.
The only other men's basketball player in the top 10 is Hansel Emmanuel at No. 9 with $1.4 million. LSU women's star Angel Reese rounds out the top 10, also with $1.4 million.
As for the basketball side of this equation, fans and analysts are calling this a "perfect fit" between James and USC:
Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoopsThis always seemed like the perfect fit. <br><br>LeBron has made no secret he wants to play with Bronny. <br><br>Now has him close by, so can make sure he can not only see Bronny - but also aid in the effort for Bronny to be 1-and-done. <a href="https://t.co/DIJWGrZrvq">https://t.co/DIJWGrZrvq</a>
24/7 High School Hoops @247HSHoopsBREAKING: 2023 5⭐️ Bronny James has committed to USC and Andy Enfield.<br><br>Bronny is an athletic, two-way guard who can do a bit of everything. A steady creator, excellent 3pt shooter and an ELITE defender.<br><br>He's ranked #9 in the '23 class, per <a href="https://twitter.com/On3sports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@On3sports</a>. A HUGE pickup. <a href="https://t.co/HTRxafsB3M">pic.twitter.com/HTRxafsB3M</a>
The addition of James in the 2023 recruiting class is yet another win for USC head coach Andy Enfield. He's done a fantastic job rebuilding this program over the past 10 years.
Since winning a total of 23 games in his first two seasons combined, the Trojans have won at least 20 games in seven of the past eight years. They have made the NCAA tournament in each of the previous three seasons, their longest streak since 2007 to '09.
James and Isaiah Collier give USC two of the top 21 recruits in the 2023 class, per 247Sports. This duo playing together could completely transform the Trojans' place in the Pac-12 hierarchy next season.
Bronny gets to stay close to an environment that he's very comfortable with as he looks to keep progressing as a basketball player and businessman.
Even though it would have been a fun story to have James play at Ohio State—one of the other schools he was considering—after LeBron won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, USC always made the most sense for him.
Now that James has officially picked the Trojans, the stage is set for him to show what he can do in the college ranks.
