Bronny James Dances At USC Event But Sits Out Athletic Contests

Bronny James made an appearance at the annual Trojan HoopLA but did not participate in the athletic festivities. The event is used to introduced the school's team for the season and have the athletes put on some displays of skill. James was all smiles as he was introducing, hitting some sweet moves to "Teach Me How To Dougie" by Cali Swag District. However, that was the extent of James' evening as he sat out the skills competition, dunk contest, and 3-point competition.

James is expected to see the floor this season for USC. However, it's unclear as to when he will begin play as he continues to recover from a cardiac arrest suffered in July. The medical scare was attributed to a congenital heart condition that was discovered after James underwent extensive testing. He is the second USC player in two years to suffer a preseason cardiac arrest.

Bronny Still Tops NIL Earnings Despite Cardiac Arrest

However, not even a cardiac arrest can stop Bronny making bank. Sports Illustrated's annual Money Issue released last month showed that Bronny tops the list of NIL earners at the college level. According to On3, Bronny James is earning $6.1 million and Shedeur Sanders is earning $4.1 million. Rounding out the top five are LSU's Livvy Dunne ($3.2M), Texas' Arch Manning ($2.9M), and USC's Caleb Williams ($2.6M). Only one other woman appears in the top ten. LSU's Angel Reese sits at eighth in the current rankings.

However, NIL earners, especially female athletes, still receive criticism. There are many people, several in positions of power, who don't believe that athletes should receive any compensation before the pro level of their respective sport. Livvy Dunne recently spoke out on this exact issue. “People definitely discredit what I do. People need to understand that I’ve worked for everything I’ve earned. I’ve spent years building an audience, and brands pay me for what they believe is worth the reach of the demographic that I offer," Dunne said in an interview earlier this year.

[via]