Bronny James Is Channeling Father LeBron’s ‘Quitting Mentality’ in USC Transfer Saga, Claims Veteran Journalist

The 2023-24 men’s college basketball season has reached its climax, with only four teams remaining in March Madness. Fans have thoroughly enjoyed the quality on offer in this season’s tournament. However, one of the tournament regulars, USC, was notably absent from March Madness. Consequently, one of the prominent figures in college basketball, Bronny James, also missed out on participating.

It’s no secret that Bronny James has had a disappointing freshman season with the University of Southern California. After failing to nail down a starting role this season, it looks like Bronny is looking for greener pastures. According to recent reports, Bronny is contemplating leaving USC and has opted to enter the transfer portal. If the reports turn out to be true, then it has the potential to send shockwaves throughout the men’s college basketball circuit.

The news of Bronny James considering a transfer from USC has prompted comparisons to his father, LeBron James. LeBron has garnered a reputation for switching teams when things don’t go his way. Veteran journalist Jason Whitlock holds the same sentiments. During the latest episode of the Fearless podcast, Whitlock said, “It’s a bad look for LeBron because LeBron’s career has been defined by ‘Oh I got a problem, let me leave and go someplace else.’ That is now dominating basketball… It just burnishes the idea that what LeBron really represents is if you have a problem, you don’t stick around and work it out. You move. You quit and move on.”

Jason Whitlock’s remarks about LeBron have surprised many within the basketball community. However, parallels could be drawn between LeBron’s need to move teams once he sees fit and Bronny’s current predicament with USC. But how bad has Bronny performed during the 2023-24 season?

Bronny James’ horrid 2023-24 season

After an encouraging senior year with Sierra Canyon in which he averaged 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, Bronny James decided to join the USC Trojans. Fans and analysts expected big things from Bronny in his freshman season with USC. However, things haven’t gone according to the script for Bronny. Having said that, Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest in late July last year, delaying the start of his collegiate career.

Bronny James made his debut for the USC Trojans on December 10th, against Long Beach State. In his debut game, Bronny recorded  4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 17 minutes. Since then, Bronny has failed to establish himself as a regular starter. Because of this, he has only averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 games. As a result, the USC Trojans missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in five seasons.

Bronny James’ subpar showings has also jeopardized his draft prospects for the NBA. Before his freshman season, experts projected Bronny to be a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. However, following his disastrous 2023-24 season, ESPN projected Bronny to be a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft rather than the 2024 draft. The spotlight has always shined brightly on Bronny, but he now needs to decide his future carefully, even if it means leaving USC.

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