Bronny James is back in class at the University of Southern California after experiencing a cardiac arrest during a basketball workout last month.
USC’s head coach Andy Enfield told reporters on Monday that LeBron James‘ 18-year-old son — born LeBron James Jr. — has been doing “extremely well” since the health scare and is “hopeful” to be back on the basketball court soon, as well.
“The good thing is he’s doing extremely well and he’s in class right now. And we all love him,” Enfield said of the highly admired freshman guard, according to ESPN. “I think everybody is hopeful that Bronny will return to the court. We just have to be patient and take it step by step.”
“Our goal is to support Bronny in any way we can academically, athletically, and be patient with how things develop in his return,” Enfield added.
The outlet reports that the 6-foot-3 freshman was considered one of the top players coming out of high school last year and committed to USC in May, bolstering “what was already one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.”
Bronny is the sixth McDonald’s All-American to join the program since Enfield became coach in 2013.
On July 24, Bronny was rushed to the hospital after collapsing during practice with USC’s Trojans basketball team. At the time, a family spokesperson said that LeBron and his wife, Savannah James, “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.”
Bronny was discharged from the hospital three days later, with his doctor, Merije Chukumerije, telling ET, “Mr. James was cared for promptly by highly-trained staff and has been discharged home, where he is resting. Although his workup will be ongoing, we are hopeful for his continued progress and are encouraged by his response, resilience, and his family and community support.”
That same day, LeBron issued an update on his son’s condition and thanked fans and friends for their support.
“I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers. We feel you and I’m so grateful,” the NBA star tweeted. “Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us! #JamesGang.”
On Friday, a James family spokesperson revealed the cause of the health scare in a statement to ET.
“After a comprehensive initial evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center led by Dr. Merije Chukumerije and follow-up evaluations at the Mayo Clinic led by Dr. Michael J. Ackerman and Atlantic Health/Morristown Medical Center led by Dr. Matthew W. Martinez, the probable cause of Mr. James’ sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) has been identified,” the statement read. “It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated.”
As for Bronny’s athletic future, the family spokesperson said, “We are very confident in Bronny’s full recovery and return to basketball in the very near future. We will continue to provide updates to media and respectfully reiterate the family’s request for privacy.”
Bronny was photographed for the first time shortly after his health scare. The next month, the college freshman attended a Dodgers game and a Drake concert with his dad.
Bronny is the oldest of the James kids; he and his brother Bryce, who also plays basketball, were born in 2004 and 2007, respectively, and their younger sister Zhuri arrived in 2014.
LeBron has made no secret of his desire to play alongside his sons in the league someday.
“I’d definitely be looking at who got first-round picks in 2024, 2025, things of that nature; 2026, ’27. I pay attention to that type of stuff,” LeBron said for the cover story of the October 2022 issue of Sports Illustrated. “I feel like I could play for quite a while. So it’s all up to my body, but more importantly, my mind. If my mind can stay sharp and fresh and motivated, then the sky’s not even a limit for me. I can go beyond that. But we shall see.”
The Lakers previously announced that the NBA star agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension, keeping LeBron in Los Angeles through the 2024-25 season. The extension aligns with his plans to play with Bronny for at least one season, as Bronny will be eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft, and LeBron can become a free agent that summer. Depending on how things fall out, the timing to play with both his sons could align perfectly.
The family would make history if LeBron makes his dream come true and plays with either Bronny or Bryce, becoming the first father-son duo to play in the NBA. Only three others — Tim Raines (MLB), Ken Griffey (MLB) and Gordie Howe (NHL) — have played games with their sons in the four professional sports.
“I’ve always set out goals in my career, talked to the basketball gods, and they’ve listened to all of them. Hopefully, they can listen to this last one, too,” LeBron said.
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