After suffering a cardiac arrest in July, USC freshman guard Bronny James has been cleared to return to basketball.

As first reported by Shams Charania, the James family released a statement saying that Bronny has been cleared to return by his doctors and will have his final evaluation with USC staff this week. He is expected to return to practice next week and play games soon after.

“The James family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible medical team, the entire USC community, and especially the countless friends, family, and fans for their love and support. Fight On!” the statement read.

James is the eldest child of NBA superstar LeBron James. He was a four-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American for Sierra Canyon School last season. As a senior, James averaged 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He committed to USC this past May, choosing the Trojans over Ohio State and Oregon.

James is a highly popular college prospect, with an NIL valuation of $7.5 million according to On3. His USC Nike shirt-jerseys nearly sold out upon release in September.

How Bronny’s return impacts USC

The Trojans are 6-2 so far on the season, but suffered a mid-major defeat to UC Irvine earlier this month. James will join a talented backcourt duo of senior Boogie Ellis and freshman Isaiah Collier.

Collier was the consensus number one recruit in the 2023 class and is projected to go first in the latest CBS Sports 2024 NBA Mock Draft. Collier and James headlined the fourth ranked recruiting class alongside center Arrinten Page and forward Brandon Gardner.

James’ draft stock has fallen amidst him being out of action, but with a return to play just a few weeks before USC enters PAC-12 play, James is sure to make an impact.

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