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Dave McMenamin, ESPN writer
OKLAHOMA CITY — LeBron James is thrilled to see his eldest son Bronny make his college basketball debut, which will force the Los Angeles Lakers to take a backseat to the USC Trojans if it comes to that.
“When he’s ready to play his first game, I’ve already told my teammates that if they play the same day as us, I’ll have to catch them the next game,” James said after the Lakers game. 133-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night. “Family above everything…but I definitely have to watch Bronny’s first game when he’s ready to go.”
The Lakers ended their road trip with a 2-2 loss, surrendering an early 14-point lead, but it was hard to dampen James’ spirit on the day it was announced that Bronny had been cleared by doctors for a full return to action. Basketball with USC.
The 19-year-old freshman, who suffered cardiac arrest during team practice in July and underwent successful surgery to repair what James’ family referred to as a possible congenital heart defect, has yet to appear in a game for the 5-2 Trojans.
Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell jokingly groaned in dismay when James revealed he would likely miss a Lakers game to see his son for the first time. However, Davies subsequently told reporters that the two captains discussed the plan during the team’s recent trip and that the 38-year-old had the full support of the dressing room.
A spokesman for the James family said in a statement Thursday that Bronny will receive a final evaluation by USC staff this week, begin practice next week and return to games shortly after.
There are a few upcoming dates in the next couple of months when the teams’ schedules will overlap:
December 28 – Lakers vs. Charlotte Hornets. University of Southern California in Oregon
December 30 – Lakers face Minnesota Timberwolves. USC in Oregon
January 3 – Lakers vs. Miami Heat. University of Southern California vs. California
January 13 – Lakers face Utah Jazz. University of Southern California, Colorado
January 17 – Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks. University of Southern California in Arizona
January 27 – Lakers face Golden State Warriors. USC vs UCLA
“It’s just a proud moment,” James said of his son’s continued progress towards the comeback. “Big excitement from our family for Bronny. And for USC as well. It’s something he’s been working on for the last 12 weeks. And for him to get the clearance to do what he loves to do and get back to being with his teammates and putting on the uniform and things like that, it’s something Definitely a pleasure.”
Things look less optimistic for James’s Lakers, which lost their matches in Philadelphia and Oklahoma City by a total of 67 points. The Lakers fell to 11-9 overall approaching the quarter mark of their 82-game regular season schedule.
However, with injuries continuing to challenge the roster – five players are scheduled for the rotation in Jared Vanderbilt (left heel), Gabe Vincent (left knee), Cam Reddish (right thigh), Jackson Hayes (left elbow) and Rui Hachimura (broken nose). . She wasn’t available against the Thunder – the team needs to gel before it can tell if the pieces fit or not.
“It’s impossible to make an assessment,” Lakers coach Darvin Hamm said of the season so far.
But Bronny’s update was a reminder of the bigger picture for a team that has big goals of its own this season.
“It’s amazing, man,” Hamm said. “I’m so happy for him and their family.”