Bronny James, the eldest son of NBA superstar LeBron James, was hospitalized in stable condition on Tuesday after experiencing cardiac arrest during a practice at the University of Southern California (USC). The incident occurred on Monday morning at USC’s Galen Center, where medical staff immediately attended to the 18-year-old before transporting him to the hospital. As of Tuesday, he was in stable condition and had been moved out of the intensive care unit.
A family spokesman requested privacy for the James family during this time. He expressed gratitude to the USC medical and athletic staff for their prompt response and dedication to athlete safety. USC declined to provide additional details, citing student privacy concerns, and did not hold a briefing or release a statement about James’ health.
On CNN talking about a very scary 36 hours for Bronny James, how male basketball players are more at-risk for cardiac arrest than any other type of college athlete, and what potential health complications may mean for Bronny's future, on or off the court: pic.twitter.com/fUXdmqrz7G
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 26, 2023
Bronny James had previously announced his decision to play college basketball for USC, and the campus is conveniently close to the downtown arena of his father’s team, the Los Angeles Lakers. He is considered a highly talented point guard recruit and has garnered attention nationally for his skills.
Support and prayers poured in from fellow athletes, including Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who had experienced cardiac arrest during an NFL game in the previous season.
Prayers to Bronny & The James family as well. 🙏🏽 here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process.
— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) July 25, 2023
Numerous sports figures worldwide, including NBA stars Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, and Donovan Mitchell, expressed their support and prayers for Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a practice. Former Lakers forward Metta Sandiford-Artest also extended his good wishes, emphasizing Bronny’s resilience and encouraging him to return stronger.
Bronny’s incident occurred approximately a year after USC freshman Vincent Iwuchukwu, a 7-foot-tall basketball player, collapsed during practice. Fortunately, Iwuchukwu recovered and returned to play for the Trojans later in the season.
Dr. Sameer Amin, a cardiologist and chief medical officer at L.A. Care Health Plan, commented on Bronny’s progress, stating that moving out of the intensive care unit is a positive sign, suggesting limited brain and heart damage due to the timely resuscitation. Amin also noted that young individuals tend to recover faster in such situations, but it’s premature to speculate on Bronny’s potential return to basketball and its timeline.
