Bronny James’ ex USC teammate has ‘brain freeze’ with game on the line

Isaiah Collier played alongside Bronny James at USC and was the best player from the Trojans basketball program.

Bronny James’ ex USC teammate has ‘brain freeze’ with game on the line

Bronny James' USC teammate Isaiah Collier

Bronny James played one year with the USC Trojans. After that one season, he declared for the NBA draft along with his teammate Isaiah Collier. James Jr. ended up with the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 55 and Collier went to the Utah Jazz at No. 29.

Bronny James debuted for the Los Angeles Lakers alongside his father LeBron James in a moment that created basketball history. But a few games later, he was sent to their G-League affiliate in order to continue his development as a basketball player.

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Collier, who had a great relationship with James Jr., took a different approach, as he started his NBA career in the G-League. Then he debuted in November and has since been a part of the rotation. As a pass first point guard, he has found himself to be increasingly used to help with playmaking.

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Earlier today, he had the ball in his hands with his Utah Jazz tied with the Brooklyn Nets with 25 seconds to go. As he slowly dribbled up the floor, star guard Colin Sexton demanded the ball, but Collier waved him off.

Then just as he crossed the halfway line, referees whistled for a half-court delay. Apparently, Isaiah Collier slowed down just before crossing the line, which ended up being a second too late. Sexton was livid as his rookie teammate turned the ball over with the game on the line.

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Cameras capturing their sideline argument saw teammates stepping in to calm the situation. Usually, such end of game plays go to the team’s best player, in this case Sexton. But it seems Collier wanted to help a play develop, which almost ended up backfiring.

Isaiah Collier redeems himself at the end

Thankfully, the Brooklyn Nets did not make the most of that turnover as they could not score a game winning basket. That pushed the game to overtime and the two sides went at it again. In the closing seconds of OT, this time the Nets were in front.

But that lead was just a point, and the Utah Jazz still had six seconds to attempt one last shot. With the game on the line, Jazz players motioned and finally Isaiah Collier was open. He received the ball and instantly dribbled towards the paint.

After almost losing the ball with his first dribble, he gathered it and rose to lay it off the glass. The ball went inside the basket to give the Jazz the lead back. It was redemption for the rookie and also a show of confidence as he shook off that turnover and helped his team win 112-111.

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So far, his best scoring game was against the Portland Trail Blazers a month ago. Against the Nets, he ended up being the player of the game with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. That should earn him the respect from his veteran stars amidst a horrible season.