Bronny James, LeBron James’ son, has been cleared to return to basketball four months after suffering a cardiac arrest.
On July 25, the 19-year-old went into cardiac arrest during a training session at USC’s Galen Center and was later diagnosed with a treatable congenital heart defect.
Bronny warmed up with his teammates before a game earlier this month, and LeBron and his family confirmed that he has been cleared to return to the court.
‘Bronny James’ doctors have cleared him to play basketball again. Bronny will have a final evaluation with USC staff this week, resume practice next week, and return to games soon after,’ according to a statement released by the James family.
‘The James family wishes to thank the incredible medical team, the entire USC community, and especially the countless friends, family, and fans for their love and support. ‘Keep figҺting!’
On July 25, the 19-year-old went into cardiac arrest during a training session with USC.
Bronny has been gradually working his way back over the last four months, beginning with some individual work before games before participating in a warm-up with his teammates.
‘It was great,’ said USC coach Andy Enfield after Bronny’s first warmup with the Trojans. He participated in team warmups. He’s an important part of our program and team. He’s an excellent teammate.
‘We look forward to hopefully getting him back on the court one day, but when that day comes is not up to me. We’ll be patient and go through the motions.’
Despite his inability to play, the youngster has been cheering on his collegiate teammates from the bench at every game this season.
The Trojans are 5-2 in the Pac-12 after a 106-78 win over the Eastern Washingtоn Eagles on Wednesday night.
On Saturday, the Trojans (5-2) travel to Las Vegas to face No. 11 Gonzaga. Their next home game is against Long Beach State on December 10.
Bronny, who committed to USC in May, has taken another step toward following in his father’s footsteps by opting to wear his iconic No. 6 at the school for his freshman year.
LeBron James, of course, is synonymous with the No. 6 from his glittering career with both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat – though he has also worn No. 23.
LeBron is expected to continue playing in the NBA until Bronny is able to join him.
LeBron James’ eldest son, 19, demonstrated some of his moves while participating in a dunking drill.
‘I need to be on the floor with my boy, I need to be on the floor with Bronny,’ James said in January to ESPN.
‘Either in the same uniform or against him,’ he explained. ‘…but I’d love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing. That would undoubtedly be ideal.’
James is under contract for two more years in Los Angeles, and his son, who played a season at USC, could enter the NBA Draft in 2024.
Several programs had expressed interest in Bronny, but he ultimately chose USC in May.
The younger James made the announcement on Instagram, putting an end to more than a year of speculation about his future. He wrote, ‘FigҺt On,’ referencing a Trojans slogan and adding the hashtag, ‘#committed.’
Following his cardiac arrest, the 19-year-old was discovered to have a treatable congenital heart defect.
Unsurprisingly, Bronny chose a Nike school, aligning himself with the clothing company that helped make his father a billionaire. As an added bonus, he will stay in the Los Angeles area, playing less than an hour from his high school, Sierra Canyon.
Bronny’s commitment was a major coup for a basketball program that has been overshadowed by Trojans football in the past.
Coach Andy Enfield’s team has made the NCAA Tournament three years in a row, but has been eliminated in the first round the last two years.
Enfield previously received commitments from Isaiah Collier, who is widely regarded as the top recruit in the class of 2023. The 6-foot-3 guard could join Bronny in the Trojan backcourt next season. Arrinten Page, a four-star center, has also committed to USC.
