Bronny James doing ‘extremely well’ after cardiac arrest, USC head coach says

USC freshman basketball player Bronny James is attending classes after suffering a cardiac arrest during a workout in July. 

James, the son of four-time NBA champion LeBron James, is doing well, according to USC head basketball coach Andy Enfield. 

“The good thing is he’s doing extremely well, and he’s in class right now. And we all love him,” Enfield said Monday. “I think everybody is hopeful that Bronny will return to the court. We just have to be patient and take it step by step.” 

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James suffered the cardiac event on July 24 while practicing months before his first college basketball season at USC was set to start. The incident occurred where the Trojans play and practice, and he was released from the hospital three days after the medical emergency. 

Last week, the probable cause of James’ cardiac arrest was revealed through a statement from the James family. 

“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. It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated,” a James 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.”

The Trojans open up the 2023-24 season against Kansas State on Nov. 6. 

“Our goal is to support Bronny in any way we can academically, athletically, and be patient with how things develop in his return,” Enfield said.

USC is preparing for its final year in the Pac-12 conference before heading to the Big Ten in 2024. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report