Bronny James, son of LeBron James, was forced to leave practice early following a cardiac arrest that sent him to the ICU. Bronny is a freshman at the University of Southern California, where his presence is expected to draw the attention of scouts and general managers from all across the NBA.
A James family spokesperson offered a statement that was shared by ESPN. In it, they 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.
Continuing on, the spokesperson makes sure to express the family’s gratitude toward the medical teams that took care of their son in the aftermath of the event. It reads, “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.”
Damar Hamlin, who suffered a similar incident at the end of the regular season in the NFL earlier this year, reached out via Twitter to share his support in what must be a difficult time for Bronny and his family. “Prayers to Bronny & The James family as well. here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process.”
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
The heart attack that Bronny suffered puts an even bigger question mark next to his name in the minds of NBA fans. Years ago, LeBron made it clear that he would someday like to suit up as a player on the same team as his eldest son. In recent years, as Bronny has become closer to draft eligibility, many have speculated what that promise would do to the draft stock of the younger James.
Many have wondered whether executives for NBA teams would place a greater premium on drafting Bronny if it meant the team would receive one year of his father LeBron, who many consider to be in the Mount Rushmore of greatest basketball players of all time.
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LeBron seemingly made this point clear while speaking to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. He said, “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.”
Now, with a cardiac event on the scouting report for Bronny, the waters become even murkier. He is unlike any other prospect in the history of the game since the signing of Bronny may also bring the service of a future Hall of Fame member and a father-son duo. As we give Bronny our thoughts and prayers, it will be interesting to see how his season unfolds following such a catastrophic tragedy.