New Details Emerge After Lebron James's Son Bronny Has Cardiac Arrest During Basketball Practice

On Tuesday, Bronny James, son of NBA Superstar Lebron James, collapsed during a basketball practice for the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans, according to a statement released to TMZ.

"Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. 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," a James family spokesperson said in a news release. "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."

As CNN previously reported, "Bronny, 18, is an incoming freshman for USC’s basketball team after graduating from Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles this spring. He was rated a four-star recruit and shined in the McDonald’s All-American Game in March featuring some of the country’s top high school basketball players."

"He averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals his senior year of high school, and joined a USC team seeking to reach the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive time," CNN adds. 

Bronny James is not the only progeny of a basketball superstar to have experienced heart complications in recent memory. Shareef O'Neal, son of former NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal, experienced similar heart complications in 2018.

Writing in 2018, Los Angeles's ABC 7 reported that, "Shareef O'Neal, the son of Shaquille O'Neal and a four-star recruit at UCLA, will miss the entire 2018-19 season after doctors discovered a heart ailment that will require surgery." Like James, O'Neal found out about his ailment during practice. O'Neal recovered from the ailment and currently plays for the NBA G-League Ignite. 

This also hasn't been the first cardiac arrest incident for USC. Last summer, freshman Vince Iwuchukwu also suffered a heart attack during an informal practice.

Lebron James has been very vocal about his desire to play his last year in the NBA with his son Bronny. During a 2022 interview with the Athletic, James told the outlet, "My last year will be played with my son. Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point."

Our thoughts and prayers are with the James family during this time. This is something you wish upon no one. May the God of all comfort be a comfort to the James family in this time of trouble.