USC HC Andy Enfield makes thoughts clear on $4.9 million NIL-valued Bronny James: "Bronny's a typical freshman"
Bronny James, who has a name, image and likeness valuation of $4.9 million, according to On3 Sports, saw his USC Trojans suffer a 70-49 loss to the No. 6 Arizona Wildcats in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday. The son of LA Lakers superstar LeBron James finished with three points, one rebound and one steal while shooting 1-for-5 in 22 minutes.
Trojans coach Andy Enfield discussed Bronny's season in the postgame news conference:
"Bronny's a typical freshman. He went through a lot this year physically and mentally. He's never wavered from being a great teammate and working extremely hard in practice, and you can count on him as an individual. He's on time. You need him to be somewhere, he's there. You can count on him as a teammate, as a coach, he's there for you.
"Lots of positive things to say about who he is as a person, his character and how he buys into the team concept. We love coaching him. He's a typical freshman, and he has learned and grown a lot this year and he'll keep improving."
Check out Andy Enfield's comments on Bronny James' freshman season below:
It is unclear if James will enter the 2024 NBA draft. However, his dad has said many times that he is hoping the two will team up. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.2 blocks per game while shooting 36.6% from the field, 26.7% from 3-point range and 67.6% from the free-throw line.
USC (15-18) won't make the NCAA Tournament, but the Trojans' strong finish and the appeal of Bronny could see them get invited to a lesser postseason tournament.
Will Bronny James enter the 2024 NBA draft?
Bronny James is eligible to enter the 2024 NBA draft, and there has been plenty of speculation that he will as LeBron James has voiced his desire to play together. Despite this, the future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer recently said the decision will ultimately be Bronny's to make.
Speaking to the "Inside the NBA" crew during NBA All-Star Weekend, LeBron said:
"It's up to him. It's up to the kid. Obviously, we're going to go through the whole process. He's still in season now, has the Pac-12 Tournament coming up. ... We're going to weigh our options, and we're going to let the kid make the decision. It's definitely not financial."
Check out LeBron James' comments on Bronny James' future below:
It is unclear if Bronny will choose to enter the draft or if he will return to the college ranks to work on his game. The USC Trojans guard will likely hear his name called if he declares for the 2024 NBA draft.