LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 06: Bronny James at Crypto.com Arena on May 06, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Bronny James, 18, is in stable condition after suffering a cardiac arrest on Monday (Jul. 24). According to a family spokesperson statement, LeBron and Savannah James‘ son experienced the health scare while at basketball practice for the University of Southern California.
The statement said:
“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,” the statement said, per CNN and ESPN. “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.”
It’s unclear if Bronny remains hospitalized or is at home with family. LeBron, Savannah, Bronny, and his brother Bryce have not posted about the medical issue on their Instagram accounts.
Per the statement, Bronny experienced a cardiac arrest, which differs and is not interchangeable with a heart attack. According to the American Heart Association, cardiac arrest is a heart malfunction that stops it from beating, whereas a heart attack is blocked blood flow to the heart.
Cardiac arrests also happen “suddenly and often without warning.” Typically, “a person loses consciousness and has no pulse.” It’s unclear if Bronny was active during cardiac arrest or in a calm state.
However, immediate medical treatment was essential for Bronny because the AHA says death can occur “within minutes” without treatment. In fact, the American Heart Association claims “sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death.” Statistically, nearly 350,000 “out-of-hospital” cardiac arrests reportedly occur yearly in the U.S.
USC has eyes on them, given that this is the second time a freshman men’s basketball player has suffered cardiac arrest. More than a year ago, on July 2022, Vincent Iwuchukwu suffered a cardiac arrest. He remained hospitalized for several days, returning to the court in January. He went on to play 14 games in his first season.
Bronny was set to travel with the USC Trojans to Europe for an exhibition next week, per ESPN. Their schedule included stops in Greece–including Athens and Mykonos–and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Given his recent cardiac arrest and recovery period, it’s unclear if Bronny will still travel and play with his team.
Bronny committed to USC in May–announcing his choice with a photo upload to Instagram. The incoming freshman brings his strong credentials to USC as a four-star guard. This year he earned the McDonald’s All-American honors and was ranked #19–now #20–in the ESPN 100, a nationwide recruiting database. Bronny graduated from Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles, California.
Along with talent, the 18-year-old is already collecting his coins. Last October, he signed name-image-likeness deals with Nike and Beats by Dre. He was the first high school student signee for Beats by Dre. His third NIL deal came from PSD Underwear, which offered the teen his own collection.
ON3 values his NIL deals at 6.3 million as of July 2023.
This is a developing story.
