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Johnny Juzang and Isaiah Mobley grew up as teammates. Now, they're on separate sides of the fiercest rivalry in Los Angeles.

The last two times No. 17 UCLA men's basketball and No. 16 USC have faced off, though, one of them has been out with an injury. The Trojans won the lone head-to-head meeting between the two friends 66-48 back on Feb. 6, 2021, and should Juzang's ankle be healed by Saturday, he and the Bruins may get a chance at revenge.

But for all of the intensity behind the crosstown rivalry, Juzang and Mobley aren't done being teammates just yet – three years after their days as AAU teammates on the Compton Magic came to an end, the two are joining forces off the court for a cause.

Juzang and Mobley have agreed to name, image, likeness deals with DaBobblehead this week to start selling commemorative bobbleheads for each player. $1 from each Juzang bobblehead sold will go to the Chase Child Life Program at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, while Mobley is partnered with Keck Medicine of USC Care for the Community Fund.

"As a kid, I would've never imagined I would have my own bobblehead, so it's a real privilege to see this come to life in a way that will benefit my community, and to be announcing this along with my good friend Isaiah, makes this an even better moment,” Juzang said. “We know this rivalry means a lot to the city, and we're excited to celebrate it with an opportunity that also makes a positive impact on our campuses." 

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This isn't the first time Juzang and Mobley have come together since the NCAA opened the NIL floodgates last July, as the two co-hosted a basketball camp in September. But whereas that helped kids hone their basketball skills, this new deal has a much further reach.

The Chase Child Life Program aims to familiarize kids with the hospital experience, simultaneously addressing the social, emotional and developmental needs of young children and their families in a culturally sensitive manner. Over 100,000 patients come through Mattel Children's Hospital each year, and Juzang's bobblehead sales will go towards helping them get acclimated to any potential hardships.

A minimum of $2,500 will be donated to the program as part of the campaign.

“We are so grateful to have the support of our donors and community partners like Johnny Juzang and DaBobblehead,” said Chase Child Life Program Director Kelli Carroll. “Philanthropic funds are crucial to the Chase Child Life Program at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, allowing our team of specialists to address the social, emotional, developmental and psychosocial needs of our patients and families during hospitalization.”

Juzang and Mobley are both having career years, with the former averaging 17.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and the latter putting up 14.4 points and 8.5 rebounds a night. Both players are shooting over 44% from the field 36% from long range and are in the running to finish the year as All-Pac-12 honorees.

Back in high school, they were part of a star-studded 2018-2019 Magic team that also featured Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley, Atlanta Hawks rookie Onyeka Okongwu, Oregon State guard Jarod Lucas and fellow UCLA guard Jaylen Clark. A partial reunion on the court thus lines up with a reunion of another kind in the charitable marketplace.

"Being able to compete on and off the court with my good friend Johnny Juzang is an honor,” Mobley said. “We have dreamt about playing basketball at this level in our hometown of Los Angeles, and now it’s even more exciting to be launching our own bobbleheads together."

Getting two of the biggest college basketball stars on the West Coast bought into the same deal was a big step for DaBobblehead and their activity in the NIL landscape, according to CEO Michael Silber.

“The UCLA/USC rivalry is one of the best in all of sports, and it’s exciting for me to be able to be part of it with the launch of Johnny Juzang’s and Isaiah Mobley’s first bobbleheads,” Silber said. “It’s been a goal of mine to see these extraordinary athletes finally be able to take control of their name, image and likeness in the form of their first bobblehead. These student athletes have big personalities and we are going to feature every detail like never before. These will be the most realistic bobbleheads ever made and we have worked closely with each athlete to ensure we capture their unique spirit.”

UCLA and USC will tip off at 7 p.m. Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion, with the winner taking hold of the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12.

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