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Bronny James and Isaiah Collier hook USC teammates up with epic gifts

Published by
Peter Dewey

University of Southern California guards Bronny James and Isaiah Collier gifted their teammates custom Beats headphones ahead of the Pac-12 Tournament.

Both Collier and James have name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with the brand, which likely helped them pull off the gifts for their teammates.

“Got my guys some Beats – me and Zay,” James said. “Felt really good givin’ them the Beats. They’ve been there for the whole season for me and Zay. And I hope they enjoy them.”

It’s a classy move by James and Collier – who are both freshmen – to give back to their teammates for helping them navigate their first season in the college ranks.

James, the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, has gone through some growing pains at the collegiate level, especially after a heart issue caused him to miss the start of the 2023-24 season.

The younger James took averages of 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game into action on Wednesday on 37.1 percent shooting from the field and 27.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He has scored in double figures on three different occasions for the Trojans this season.

As for Collier, he could be playing in the NBA next season, as a recent mock draft by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor projected him to be taken with the No. 12 overall pick by the Chicago Bulls.

“The Bulls should be taking big swings in the draft to escape the middle, where they’ve been stuck for years,” O’Connor wrote. “Collier is a raw point guard and has played in a less than ideal situation with a terrible USC roster, but his shifty athleticism and flashes of stardom make him worth a shot. With Chicago performing much better in recent months, maybe Collier and Coby White could form a backcourt of the future.”

Collier took averages of 16.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game into action on Wednesday to go along with shooting clips of 48.8 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc.

USC struggled overall in the regular season, going 14-17, but the team could make the NCAA Tournament by winning the Pac-12 Tournament this week. The squad would then earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The team’s first Pac-12 Tournament game came on Wednesday against the University of Washington, and USC came out on top.

Even if the Trojans don’t make the NCAA Tournament, the younger James and Collier at least gave their teammates something to commemorate the season and the bond that they’ve all shared together.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

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