- Last year, teammate Vincent Iwuchukwu suffered cardiac arrest but later returned
- James then suffered the same problem during a team training session over the summer
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USC freshman Bronny James took the court at T-Mobile Arena in gray sweats as his teammates warmed up for their opener against Kansas State on Monday night.
And while his team played, his father — NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James — revealed what the family hopes is a path to Bronny back on the floor.
“Bronny’s progress is going in the right direction,” LeBron James said Monday night in Miami after he and the Los Angeles Lakers played the Heat. ‘He has finished his rehabilitation. Every week he gets more and more and more to do. At the end of the month we have a big – a big – moment to see how we can move forward.
“If he’s out, it won’t be long before he’s back on the floor and back with his teammates and practicing with the idea of being back on the floor and playing in game situations,” added LeBron James . ‘Everything is getting better.’
Bronny is still on his way back from cardiac arrest during summer training. LeBron said last month that his son had undergone surgery to repair a congenital heart condition that caused the collapse.
Bronny James will undergo tests at the end of this month to be cleared to play
Jame is out after suffering cardiac arrest during team training in July
“He’s moving forward,” LeBron James said. “He’s on the right track.”
There is no known timetable for Bronny’s return, although there is hope that it will happen sometime this season.
USC faced a similar situation last year when big man Vincent Iwuchukwu went into cardiac arrest in July before eventually returning to the court in January to play 14 games.
“Bronny is doing really well,” Enfield said after training earlier this year.
‘But from a medical point of view we can’t say anything about it. He is going to class and doing very well in school, and we are very happy for him.”
After Bronny spent three days in a local LA hospital, the James family released a statement saying that a congenital heart defect was the likely cause of the soon-to-be 19-year-old’s cardiac arrest.
“He’s there when he can,” Enfield said of James. “And he’s doing some school work and doing really well. His grades are currently excellent and he is a true student-athlete.”
As the Wildcats completed their warm-up on the west side of the court, James strolled into open space, took a few shots at the top of the key, found his place in the corner and made three more shots from long range before a 3-pointer convert and close with the 21st-ranked Trojans.
It has long been LeBron’s dream that one of his sons – Bronny or youngest son Bryce, who is also a rising star – would play alongside him in the NBA. Bronny would be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft if he chose that path.
Last season, fellow Trojan Vincent Iwuchukwu went into cardiac arrest but returned to play
LeBron James said all the doctors involved in his son’s recovery, along with those at USC, “did a great job.”
“We are proud of his progress,” LeBron James said of his son. “We are proud of its strength.”
LeBron’s wife, Savannah, and son, Bryce, sat courtside at the game.
“It’s really important for us to show support for all the kids, and obviously Bronny isn’t playing tonight, but we wanted to show support for the rest of the young men who have been working all summer to prepare for this point,” says Savannah. James told The Associated Press at halftime.
“We know Bronny wants to play, but he’ll be making his comeback soon and we’ll be here to actually watch him on the floor. But we are a USC family and we want to make sure we are here to support Bronny and the entire team.”
