Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

LeBron James son Bronny’s heart condition revealed after he collapsed on basketball court

The family statement said that the University of Southern California freshman should fully recover from his cardiac arrest last month

Kelly Rissman
Saturday 26 August 2023 17:16 EDT
Comments
Fox News promotes anti-vax conspiracy theory linking Bronny James collapse to Covid vaccine

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, has been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, a spokesperson for the family said.

The statement said that the University of Southern California freshman should fully recover from his cardiac arrest last month.

“It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated,” the spokesperson said. He added that his family is “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,” the statement said.

In July, the 18-year-old collapsed during basketball practice at the USC basketball facility in Los Angeles.

He briefly lost consciousness during the cardiac event and the team’s medical staff gave him initial treatment on the court.

Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which “affect how blood flows through the heart and out to the rest of the body.” There are many types of congenital heart defects and treatment depends on their severity.

According to ESPN, the congenital heart defect was identified after an initial evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and follow-up evaluations at the Mayo Clinic and the Atlantic Health-Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey.

The outlet reported that Bronny James was projected to be a first-round pick in next summer’s NBA draft — which would mean he could play with his father.

Last year, LeBron James expressed his desire to play with his son. “My last year will be played with my son,” he said. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”

Following the incident, Lebron James tweeted: “I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers. We feel you and I’m so grateful.

“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!”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in