Bronny James, a freshman basketball player for the USC Trojans and the son of NBA legend LeBron James, suffered a cardiac arrest during a USC practice on Monday.
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The 18-year-old four-star recruit landed in the ICU but is now in stable condition.
USC All-American Bronny James collapsed on the court Monday and had a cardiac arrest. He was taken to the hospital and is now in stable condition and no longer in the ICU. Statement: pic.twitter.com/5z9F2qAWP0
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 25, 2023
A spokesperson for the James family released the following statement regarding the event, as Shams Charania of The Athletic reported: "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. 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."
How Bronny James Chose USC
When Bronny James joined USC, the school got much more than just "LeBron's son," as Bronny is an accomplished player in his own right.
The four-star recruit was considered the No. 27 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, according to 247sports. He was also the second-highest-ranked recruit to join the Trojans in a class that ranks No. 4 nationally. In high school, the 6-foot-3 Bronny averaged 14 points and five rebounds per game as a senior at Sierra Canyon.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first instance of cardiac arrest being suffered by a player at a USC practice.
Last summer, then-freshman five-star recruit Vince Iwuchukwu suffered "major heart failure" and collapsed during practice. He played in just 14 games last season, averaging 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds.
While Bronny is in stable condition, his outlook for the 2023-24 NCAA season with the Trojans is not yet confirmed. He's projected to be a potential lottery selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.
We'll stay abreast of this situation as more updates come to light.