LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, was hospitalized on Monday after collapsing during a basketball practice at the University of Southern California (USC). The 18-year-old, who recently joined the USC Trojans team, suffered a cardiac arrest at USC's Galen Center the home court of the Trojans.
He collapsed and lost consciousness. A 911 call was made from the facility and Bronny was transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance in a 'Code 3' situation as lights and sirens were on, TMZ reported. He was treated in the intensive care unit before being transferred to general care.
Is Bronny James OK?
Bronny James is reported to be in a stable condition now. A spokesperson for the James family confirmed the incident and asked for privacy and respect. “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,” the rep said in a statement to Page Six. The statement also thanked the USC medical and athletic staff for their “incredible work and dedication” to the safety of their athletes.
'My last year will be with my son'
Bronny James is a six-foot-three guard who played for Sierra Canyon School in LA before committing to USC. He is ranked as one of the top prospects in the country for the 2023 class by ESPN and is expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and enter the NBA. LeBron James, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, has expressed his desire to play with his son in the pros someday. “My last year will be with my son. Wherever Bronny’s at, that’s where I’ll be,” LeBron told The Athletic in February 2022. “I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
This is not the first time a USC men’s basketball player has suffered a cardiac arrest
Bronny James will wear No 6 for USC this year - a tribute to his legendary father, who also wears No 6 for the Lakers. LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer, having surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s tally of 38,387 career points this year. This is the second time in the past year that a USC men’s basketball player has suffered a cardiac arrest during practice, according to the LA Times. Center Vince Iwuchukwu collapsed at practice last summer and was revived by USC athletic trainers. He made a full recovery and returned to the court six months later.