Bronny James, the oldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James, suffered cardiac arrest during a practice at the University of Southern California (USC) and was taken to a hospital, but he was in stable condition and out of intensive care, a family representative said Tuesday.
Bronny James, 18, an incoming freshman on the USC basketball team, collapsed during practice Monday at the university's Galen Center and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was initially placed into ICU care.
"Yesterday while practicing, Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest," according to a statement from a James family representative. "Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information."
The statement added, "LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes."
At the beginning of the year, after Damar Hamlin's collapse, I wrote about Black athletes were nearly 5x more likely to die due to heart failure than white athletes. The news of Bronny James' cardiac arrest is a scary reminder. https://t.co/qtQ4GOh4LH
— Margo Snipe (@margoasnipe) July 25, 2023
Bronny James played at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth before committing to USC. He is considered one of the top freshman college players in the country, ranked No. 27 by CBS in the class of 2023 recruits. He is a projected lottery pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
LeBron James has said he would like to remain in the NBA long enough to play alongside his son.
Last summer, USC center Vince Iwuchukwu collapsed due to cardiac arrest during a basketball practice and was revived by the team's training staff. He made a full recovery and returned to the team.
Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who suffered an on-field cardiac arrest during a nationally televised Monday Night Football game in January, was among those sending support to Bronny James on Tuesday.
"Prayers to Bronny & the James family as well," Hamlin wrote on Twitter. "Here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process."
