USC basketball star Bronny James, the son of NBA Lakers superstar LeBron James, has been cleared to fully return to play basketball. This comes five months after his cardiac arrest during a team workout. The 19-year-old will participate in a final evaluation with USC staff sometime this week.
“Bronny James is now cleared by his doctors for a full return to basketball,” the James family wrote in a statement. “Bronny will have a final evaluation with USC staff this week, resume practice next week, and return to games soon after. The James family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible medical team, the entire USC community, and especially the countless friends, family, and fans for their love and support. Fight On!”
Bronny warmed up with his team for the first time on Nov. 19 ahead of their game against Brown University. His warm-up performance at USC was a massive step forward. At the time, USC had not yet decided when Bronny would be able to play for the season but was hopeful he would have a healthy return.
Since Bronny’s congenital heart defect diagnosis several months ago, it’s been a busy time. Savannah and LeBron revealed that their eldest son works diligently to return to the court. In addition, they said the condition was not expected to interfere with his career. This will be Bronny’s chance to show USC Trojans fans what he’s got before he heads to the NBA next year.
After the Lakers lost 133-110 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, LeBron James told reporters that he would attend Bronny’s first game, even if the Lakers played, according to Yahoo Sports. The Lakers have a home game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday — the same time as USC plays Gonzaga in Las Vegas. A possible overlap will also occur on Dec. 28 if the Lakers reach the NBA in-season tournament finals on Dec. 9, one day before USC plays Long Beach State.
“It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to his first game. … I already told my [Lakers] teammates that if they’re playing on the same day we’re playing, then I’m going to catch them the next game. Family over everything,” LeBron said.
