LeBron James’ son Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest during a basketball workout on Monday and is in stable condition, his family said.
The 18-year-old was practicing at the University of Southern California ahead of his first season with the Trojans when he suffered a medical emergency, the family said in a statement.
“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,” they said.
James is the eldest son of the Los Angeles Lakers star.
Representatives with USC said they cannot comment on Monday’s incident “out of respect for student privacy.”
USC announced in May that it had received a signed National Letter of Intent from James to join its basketball team after completing his senior year in high school. James averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals while at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California, according to USC.
LeBron James, 38, has said that one day playing alongside his son in the NBA would be one of his life’s greatest achievements.
“That would be no. 1 in my lifetime as an NBA player,” he said on his multimedia platform, Uninterrupted, back in 2018.
LeBron James more recently in May, however, said that he was considering whether he wants to continue his NBA career after the Lakers’ loss in the NBA’s Western Conference finals.
It’s the second time that a Trojans basketball player has suffered a cardiac arrest within the last year.
Freshman forward Vincent Iwuchukwu was hospitalized a year ago this month after suffering a cardiac arrest during a team workout. He left the hospital after a few days, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time, and made his collegiate debut with the Trojans six months later.
In a later interview with USC’s student-run paper, the Daily Trojan, Iwuchukwu said he was initially told that he wouldn’t be able to play basketball again after his health scare. But he said a second doctor then told him that prognosis was mistaken, giving him the green light to work toward a full recovery.
“When I heard that, I just told myself the battle starts now,” Iwuchukwu said.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest during an NFL game in January, offered his own support and prayers to Bronny James and his family in a Twitter post Tuesday.
“Here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process,” he said.
Hamlin has also reportedly recovered his cardiac arrest and is cleared to play this coming season. In the months since his hospitalization, he has become a public advocate for learning CPR after having received the lifesaving procedure when he collapsed on the field. He was additionally treated with an automated external defibrillator, also known as an AED.