UPDATE: Bronny James’ USC Teammate Also Suffered Cardiac Arrest

As WLTR previously reported, LeBron James’ 18-year-old son, Bronny, suffered cardiac arrest during a basketball workout.

UPDATE: Bronny James’ Basketball Career May Be Over

A James family spokesperson gave this statement to TMZ Sports:

“Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information.”

"Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is… pic.twitter.com/3Ah4Rt4dJx

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) July 25, 2023

From TMZ Sports:

The spokesperson continues, “LeBron and Savannah 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.”

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports … a 911 call was made at 9:26 AM Monday from USC’s Galen Center for — the venue where the team plays and practices — and the 18-year-old hooper, who was unconscious, was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Our sources say it was a Code 3 — meaning the ambulance lights and sirens — which signifies the seriousness of the emergency.

Bronny is a rising talent in his sport — he recently committed to the Trojans and is expected to end up in the NBA.

Bronny was a McDonald’s All-American during his high school senior season … and LeBron has expressed his desire to play alongside his son in the League.

Bronny also followed in his dad’s footsteps and competed in the slam dunk competition at the high school showcase in March.

LeBron James revealed he and his family received the experimental COVID-19 shots in 2021, calling it “a personal decision.”

👉 09/28/2021 LeBron James Reveals He And HIS ENTIRE Family Are Vaccinated Against Covid, Calls It “A Personal Decision”

👉 07/25/2023 LeBron James’ Son Bronny, 18, Rushed To Hospital After Suffering “CARDIAC ARREST.”

Wonder if LeBron’s still advocating for COVID vaccines ? pic.twitter.com/XbupTXzEow

— CannaKingCA (@CannaKingCA20) July 25, 2023

From Deadline:

LeBron James today revealed for the first time unequivocally that he has been vaccinated against Covid-19.

“I was skeptic[al] at first,” said James, “but I did my research.” The Lakers superstar said he decided it was the best decision “for my family and for my friends, that’s why I decided to do it.”

Throughout the past year, James has been evasive about his vaccination status. But now some cities — such as Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco — have vaccination requirements for indoor “mega events,” which include NBA games.

San Francisco requires anyone age 12 and over attending an indoor event with more than 1,000 people to provide proof of vaccination or proof of a medical or religious exemption. That includes games at Chase Center, home of the Warriors.

In the latest reports, LeBron James is “scared and devastated” following Bronny’s cardiac arrest.

Cardiologists reportedly said Bronny’s basketball career may be over.

UPDATE: Bronny James’ Basketball Career May Be Over

Daily Mail reports:

LeBron James is ‘scared and devastated’ following his son Bronny’s cardiac arrest during USC practice, friends have revealed.

The 18-year-old basketball protégé was rushed to hospital and admitted to ICU after collapsing at USC’s Galen Center on Monday, his family confirmed today.

LeBron is ‘making sure he gets the best care possible’ and has entered ‘full Dad mode and is protecting his son in any way he can,’ a source told DailyMail.com.

Cardiologists have warned that Bronny’s career – which was only just beginning following his high school graduation – could already be over.

Dr Christopher Tanayan told DailyMail.com: ‘If they find something that puts him at a high risk for sudden death then that … may make or break his career.’

UPDATE

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Bronny James' cardiac arrest wasn't the first time USC medical personnel dealt with this type of emergency for a men's basketball player.

Bronny's Trojan teammate Vince Iwuchukwu went into cardiac arrest last summer.

"The medical team team that treated Bronny all too familiar with what to do – they actually treated Bronny's Trojan teammate Vince Iwuchukwu just last summer for cardiac arrest," Good Morning America reported.

WATCH:

Just Released 911 Tapes Reveal LeBron James' Son Was Unconscious and Required CPR Before Being Rushed to the Hospital

"Bronny James lost consciousness and was taken Code 3 lights and sirens to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by ambulance...The medical team team that treated Bronny… pic.twitter.com/4Jex4ZuwOV

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) July 26, 2023

"Iwuchukwu...was hospitalized for a few days, but there were no clear explanations for the incident. It was described as a 'freak accident' similar to Damar Hamlin's episode...He later had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placed in his chest to regulate his heart…

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) July 26, 2023

The Sporting News reports:

This is the second straight year in which a USC player has suffered cardiac arrest. Trojans center Vincent Iwuchukwu went into cardiac arrest during a summer workout on July 1, 2022, but he managed to recover and rejoin the team last season.

What happened to Vincent Iwuchukwu?

Iwuchukwu was performing well during a summer workout, but USC assistant coach Eric Mobley noticed something looked off after Iwuchukwu grabbed a rebound with less force than usual. As players took a break, Mobley called over head coach Andy Enfield to alert him that Iwuchukwu "didn't look right."

"[I] sat down, and I just got, like, super dizzy out of nowhere. ... I was about to drink my water, and I was like, 'Bro, I'm so dizzy,'" Iwuchukwu said. "And bam. That's all I remembered."

After Iwuchukwu collapsed, USC trainers Jon Yonamine, Erin Tillman and Lauren Crawford immediately responded, deploying the automated external defibrillator (AED) and administering CPR. Mobley repeatedly yelled at Iwuchukwu, who only later recognized the seriousness of the situation.

"I started hearing coach Mobley's voice, like, 'Get up, Vince! Get up, Vince! Don't die on me!'" Iwuchukwu said. "In my head, I was like, 'Don't die on me? What does he mean don't die?' So I'm like, 'I gotta get up.'"

Iwuchukwu did wake up after the shock, and he was moved into an ambulance. He was hospitalized for a few days, but there were no clear explanations for the incident. It was described as a "freak accident" similar to Damar Hamlin's episode in the 2023 NFL game between the Bills and Bengals.

He later had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placed in his chest to regulate his heart rate.

Early on in his recovery, Iwuchukwu wondered if he would ever be able to play basketball again, but he wasn't ready to let the game go. He did months of work with the training staff, and he was ultimately able to make his USC debut on Jan. 12 in a 68-61 win over Colorado.

Seems a little off...https://t.co/tPj4Z9glvf

— Dave Collum (@DavidBCollum) July 26, 2023

More details from Trojans Wire:

Vince Iwuchukwu, like Bronny James, suffered cardiac arrest at USC in July. The news of his cardiac arrest was revealed in late September, but the actual incident occurred in July.

Iwuchukwu was able to return to practices late in 2022. He was then medically cleared to play on January 12, 2023, for a game against Colorado. He did, however, play only five minutes in that game. USC was appropriately cautious with Iwuchukwu’s minutes. He played only six minutes in his next game against Utah on January 14.

Iwuchukwu wound up playing 14 games last season. He didn’t play more because he suffered back pain late in the season. He missed USC’s Pac-12 Tournament and NCAA Tournament games in March. For the season, Iwuchukwu played 193 minutes in 14 games, an average of just under 14 minutes per game.

A starter-level player will generally play 30 to 35 minutes. Iwuchukwu’s minutes were commensurate with a seventh or eighth man off the bench. The hope for Iwuchukwu this coming season is that he can consistently play 20 or more minutes.

USC issued a COVID-19 jab mandate for students in 2021.

From USC:

USC policy also requires all students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 before December 17th, 2021 or submit a request for a medical or religious exemption. Meeting this COVID-19 safety requirement is mandatory in order to start attending classes on campus this Spring Semester 2022.

The mandate wasn't lifted until a few months ago.

Daily Trojan reported in March 2023:

The University will no longer mandate coronavirus vaccinations for students, faculty and staff beginning Fall 2023, Chief Student Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman said in a briefing with the Daily Trojan Tuesday.

The change in policy comes as campus vaccination rates hit “close to 100%” for the primary vaccine series and 85% for the booster, prompting levels of immunity against severe disease, Van Orman said.

“We still want people to get those vaccines we promote … but it becomes more of a personal healthcare decision,” Van Orman said. “We’re leaving this phase of the pandemic; we’re not going to see these huge numbers of hospitalizations and deaths that crash our healthcare system, because of the level of overall immunity.”