It’s a gift and curse to be LeBron James’ son. In 2023, when a freshman guard out of Sierra Canyon, Bronny James, committed to the University of Southern California Trojans, he not only made heads turn due to his on-court skills (averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 steals) but also for his NIL (name, image, and likeliness) value. His valuation was reported to be almost $5.9 million because of his lucrative deals with brands like PSD Underwear, Nike, and Beats by Dre. On3’s NIL index is measured in terms of the licensing and sponsorship market through exposure and social media influence by combining brand value and roster value.

But Bronny’s fate turned upside down on July 24, 2023, when Bronny collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest during a USC practice session at the Galen Center. When he was away from the court for 5 months, his NIL value dipped to 4.7 million. After he rejoined the Trojans in December, he did not have an impressive performance and the teams’ performance also mattered. They did not qualify for March Madness and Bronny’s NIL value went further down to $4.5 million.

In the 2023-24 season, Bronny James played just 25 games and averaged 4.8 points, 2.1 assists,  2.8 rebounds, and had 0.8 steals in 19.4 minutes per game. To add to the misery, he shot, 36.6% from the field and 26.7% from 3. This poor performance affected his NIL valuation and declined from $4.5 million to $3.7 million. The NBA prospect lost a whopping $0.8 million in the process and occupied the second spot with the same NIL, boasted by the Louisiana State University Tigers’ gymnast Olivia Dunne. 

Shedeur Sanders is the new champion in the NIL valuation table. While Sanders stands at $4.6 million, the large amount of $0.9 million that Bronny trails only adds many insults to his injury. Though he still has a combined 13.4 million followers and is far ahead of Sanders in social media popularity, companies don’t seem to be backing him up like they once did America’s favorite child.

Bronny James is facing pressure and scrutiny, unlike any other college athlete. Anything and everything he does or doesn’t do is becoming headlines. Concerning performance, Bronny’s poor shooting and lack of rim pressure could be reasons for his inefficiency. However, his passing and defense skills are good. At present, Bronny has a few options to explore and get him back on track.

Bronny James can save himself with these two routes while ending college career

Early this April, Bronny James took to his Instagram and announced, “… I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal. Thank you to USC for an amazing Freshman year, and as always thankful for my family, friends, doctors, athletic trainers and fans for their support.”

Earlier this month when the mock drafts were prepared, Bronny was not drafted by some. But LeBron James stepped forward as a supportive father to encourage Bronny to stay motivated. King James wrote, “Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball… The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y’all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!” 

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In a subsequent post, he further added, “And to all the other kids out there striving to be great just keep your head down, blinders on, and keep grinding… These Mock Drafts doesn’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE!” But these posts were eventually deleted by LeBron James.

Another eminent name in the sport, Baron Davis also backed Bronny James’ decision and called it a “smart move”. In an interview with TMZ Sports, Davis mentioned that being in the draft was good because he could do better at the pro level. However, if Bronny gets picked by the Los Angeles Lakers, then it would fulfill LeBron’s dream of playing alongside his son. 

On the other hand, he could be using the NCAA as a fallback. The former USC head coach Andy Enfield had recruited him but left for SMU Mustangs after this season. The bond Bronny shared with Enfield had brought him to USC. Hence, it is obvious that Bronny might look for other coaches with whom he is compatible and try to undo the damage that has been done with paltry scores this season.

The world is watching impatiently as Bronny James follows in his father’s terrific footsteps. But despite the pressure, Bronny isn’t crumbling.