THE BRONNY JAMES show is back in business. Four months after suffering a cardiac arrest, LeBron James’ eldest son has been cleared by doctors for a full return to the court.
The University of Southern California (USC) freshman is expected to make his collegiate debut soon.
“The James family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible medical team, the entire USC community, and especially the countless friends, family, and fans for their love and support. Fight On!” a family spokesperson said in a statement.
James, 19, suffered a cardiac arrest on July 24 during a USC practice and was hospitalised for three days in Los Angeles. He underwent a procedure to treat a congenital heart defect.
He’s since made a strong recovery and has been participating in pregame warm-ups with USC. He warmed up for the first time with his teammates before USC’s 81-70 win over Brown on Nov. 19.
“It was great,” USC basketball coach Andy Enfield said. He’s a big part of our program and our team. He’s a terrific teammate. We look forward to hopefully one day getting him back on the court, but when that day is, that’s not my decision. We’re going to be patient and go through the process.”
James is a highly regarded prospect who is expected to be a sought after pick in next year’s NBA draft, although part of the attraction is, of course, because of who his father is—LeBron has long expressed a desire to play alongside his son, so there is the possibility that the lucky team that drafts Bronny gets the ultimate two-for-one deal.
Will Bronny James actually play in the NBA?
Bronny has been scouted by NBA teams since he was a kid and has since developed into a top-tier prospect. He was named a McDonald’s All-American in high school and committed to USC (one of the USA’s top college basketball programs) in May— the fact that his dad’s LA Lakers are only a Steph Curry long-range bomb, or there abouts, from USC’s campus may have had something to do with Bronny’s choice of college.
Before his medical episode, Bronny was projected as a mid-first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and considered to be one of the top freshman point guards. It’s still too soon to speculate on how this medical episode impacts Bronny’s NBA prospects, or if it delays his progression to the league.
What causes cardiac arrest?
Cardiac arrest is far more common in people over the age of 35. As you get older, more and more plaque builds up in your arteries and coronary disease becomes increasingly prevalent, which both cause cardiac arrest. It’s rare for someone as young as Bronny to experience it. Cardiac arrest in people under 35 is usually attributed to underlying heart problems and genetic defects, but it is unknown if this is the cause of Bronny’s incident.
Each year in Australia, around 25,000 people have a cardiac arrest out of hospital, with as few as 5 per cent of these people surviving, according to the National Heart Foundation.
