Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James has opened up about the cardiac arrest he suffered during a workout at USC in July 2023.
In an interview with Men’s Health, the 20-year-old described the day that changed everything for him and his family.
The morning of the incident, Bronny’s morning routine was the same.
Bronny recounts that had a smoothie and went to a summer workout on USC’s campus before school started.
Midway through running drills, he blacked out and doesn’t remember anything else.
The episode was later confirmed to be a cardiac arrest.
Bronny spoke about the emotional toll it took. “At the point when it happened, there were a whole bunch of categories that what had happened could fall under, so yeah. There were a whole lot of emotions,” he explained.
The incident forced Bronny to reset his life and focus on recovery. “I got real on top of my routines to get back to where I was,” he said, mentioning breathing exercises and heart medications.
“I have to stay on top of my heart medications, and – I got my heart pillow,” he added, referring to how the pillow helped him manage discomfort.
“My days aren’t normal anymore,” he admitted.
“I’m still getting back to where I was.”
Bronny’sNBA journey has drawn significant attention, especially since he was drafted by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick, joining his father, LeBron James, on the team.
While his preseason numbers – averaging 0.7 points and one rebound – have raised questions about his NBA readiness, head coach JJ Redick remains optimistic.
“He’s easy to coach,” Redick said.
“He’s got a great soul and energy.”
Reddick went on saying ,”he can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique, and I think can turn into a really disruptive defender,”
Equally, LeBron, who is realizing his dream of playing professionally with his oldest son, recently commented that it’s been amazing getting to work with Bronny.
“It’s a special feeling, a different feeling, to work with him,” said LeBron, who turns 40 in December.
“When you go to work every day, you want to try to help each other. If it’s a bad day for him, you pick him up. … There’s things we can do that doesn’t even need words. We can just look at each other and know.”
Though Bronny is still finding his footing in the NBA after only one season at USC, the focus remains on his health and growth, with fans eagerly watching as the father-son duo makes NBA history.
