USC freshman Bronny James, the eldest son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, was hospitalized Monday after going into cardiac arrest and collapsing during a basketball practice with the Trojans, a family spokesperson said Tuesday. Bronny, 18, was placed into ICU but is now in stable condition.
"Yesterday while practicing, Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest," the spokesperson 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. 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."
James, a four-star recruit and one of the staple pieces of USC's top-five incoming recruiting class, signed with the Trojans this offseason. He is the No. 27 overall player in the Class of 2023 and the second-highest ranked signee in USC's four-person recruiting class that ranks No. 4 nationally at 247Sports.
James' collapse marks the second USC player in as many years to suffer cardiac arrest with the program after former five-star big man Vince Iwuchukwu suffered cardiac arrest last summer during an informal team practice. Iwuchukwu played in 14 games last season after being withheld following his health scare and was cleared to play in January.
Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin, who collapsed during an NFL game last season vs. the Cincinnati Bengals and has since been active in advocating for AED training and awareness which potentially saved his life, was one of many who shared a tweet offering Bronny support:
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
A 6-foot-3 combo guard with preternatural smarts as a two-way talent, James had a stellar high school career at Sierra Canyon, where he averaged 14 points and five rebounds per game as a senior this past season. He rose from outside the top-50 of the national recruiting rankings at 247Sports to inside the top 30 after a big 2022-23, and projects as a potential lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
