Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, suffered cardiac arrest during a Monday workout, according to a report from TMZ Sports.
After the USC training staff made a 911 call at 9:30 a.m., they rushed the 18-year-old basketball star, who was unconscious, to the emergency room.
As of Tuesday morning, James has been in stable condition and was released from the ICU, according to reports from doctors.
The James family released a statement Tuesday morning about the medical emergency. “Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. The 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 the media when there is more information,” said in their statement.
The parents of Bronny, LeBron and Savannah James, also thanked the USC athletic staff for their quick movement in their statement.
“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," said in their statement.
Bronny James recently announced his plans to play college basketball at the prestigious University of Southern California, a decision that has drawn national attention. With the fall season approaching, many people have been watching James closely in preparation for his debut with the USC basketball team. Many people are eagerly anticipating his success as a guard, as he has strong aspirations of becoming an NBA star.
However, this recent incident is raising concerns about cardiac arrest among young college athletes. This is something that is becoming a reoccurring issue, especially among young college basketball players.
According to a report from the University of Alabama Birmingham Medicine team, basketball players suffer the highest rate of sudden cardiac death. According to Sara Gould, MD, a sports medicine expert, “Male basketball players are most likely to suffer sudden cardiac death.” She later explained that due to their body type “tall with long limbs” it “seems to increase the likelihood for connective tissue disorders that can affect the heart.”
According to the LA Times, this is not the first time the USC training staff faced a player having a cardiac arrest. Just last year, USC Center Vince Iwuchukwu was in cardiac arrest during a practice last summer and was later revived by athletic trainers at the university. Fortunately, Iwuchukwu fully recovered and the Trojans cleared him to play only 6 months later.
By placing a greater emphasis on this issue and its impact, it can help create an environment where college basketball stars can avoid medical emergencies like this or recover quickly and without any worries. We are hoping Bronny has a speedy recovery!