University of Southern California head basketball coach Andy Enfield has recently stated that he does not feel a ‘hovering’ presence from NBA superstar LeBron James as he prepares to coach his eldest son Bronny.
Bronny was highly touted as a four-star recruit that was ranked 19 in the 2023 class by ESPN and recently committed to playing his college ball for the Trojans next season.
According to Enfield, LeBron and his wife Savannah have both been ‘extremely supportive’ of their son’s decision.
‘Well, Savannah and LeBron have been extremely supportive of Bronny and his decision to come to USC,’ Enfield said. ‘They have a great understanding of what it takes to become a great player.
‘I think the expectations — there are certainly expectations — but the expectations are not unreasonable as parents. They want what most other parents want. They want their son to come get an education, develop on the basketball court, play with other good players and to have a coaching staff that can help them develop and help him become a better player.’
USC head coach Andy Enfield says Bronny James’s parents are not hovering around the season
Bronny’s father LeBron James has perhaps the highest celebrity factor of any NCAA parent
‘We think, as coaching staff, LeBron and Savannah have a great understanding of what it’s going to take for Bronny to be a great college player and get to the next level.’
Bronny is expected to start at point guard next to senior guard Boogie Ellis in the backcourt, along with Kobe Johnson who some believe is poised for a breakout season and DJ Rodman, the son of NBA legend Dennis.
The younger Rodman is also set for his first season at USC after joining the team as a key transfer from Washington State.
Enfield expects Bronny’s high basketball IQ and defensive tools, alongside his general skillset to play a key role in allowing him to earn significant playing time early on.
‘All our guards have a great opportunity to play for us because we don’t have a ton of guards,’ Enfield said.
The younger James announced his decision on Instagram, ending more than a year of speculation about his future. ‘Fight On,’ he wrote, adding the hashtag, ‘#committed’
‘We don’t have eight or nine. We have some opportunity for those guys to carve out a nice role for them, and in Bronny’s case, we don’t promise starting spots, but the nice thing is I think all of our guards will play good minutes for us this year.’
LeBron has long talked about wanting to play in the NBA with Bronny and has also structured his contract in a way that would allow him to leave the Lakers in order to do so, leading many to believe this will be Bronny’s only season of college basketball.
‘It’s so refreshing to see a young man deal with all the celebrity status of his dad but be such a humble young man,’ Enfield said.
‘And when he gets on the basketball court, he’s a great teammate. We recruited Bronny because we think he’s a great fit for our basketball program as a player and the type of person he is.’
