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Bronny James Hospitalized After Suffering Heart Attack At USC Practice

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Gia Nguyen
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Gia Nguyen Sports Editor

Gia is a Basketball Insiders contributor based in Canada. She graduated from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Science, so she knows the make-up of a winning bet. Gia uses her analytical background to tell stories using the latest data and statistics. Her work has been sourced by Entrepreneur, Inquirer, and more. Gia is also interested in health, wellness, and yoga.

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Updated25 Jul 2023

Bronny James Suffers Heart Attack At USC Practice

USC freshman guard Bronny James collapsed on the court Monday during practice after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to Shams Charania.

The USC medical staff was able to treat Bronny and rush him to the hospital, where he is now in stable condition. While the severity of the heart attack is unknown, James was able to be removed from the intensive care unit, which is a good sign for chances of making a fast and full recovery.

The son of LeBron James, Bronny was expected to make an immediate impact for the Trojans alongside fellow top freshman Isaiah Collier.

Will Bronny James Be Able To Play As A Freshman?

After suffering a cardiac arrest, James will likely need some time to recover before stepping back on the court.

With the college basketball season just 15 weeks away, it’s conceivable that fans will have to wait for James’ highly-anticipated USC debut.

In fact, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bronny miss the beginning of his freshman season as he ramps up his conditioning on his road to recovery.

James could need 4-6 months of recovery time before returning to the floor in even a limited role. That could potentially leave him sidelined until 2024.

Bronny James Recovery Timeline After Cardiac Arrest

Even the world’s best athletes need to exercise caution when returning to physical activity following a cardiac episode.

According to the British Heart Foundation, James will likely need at least 7-8 weeks before he can resume doing light lifting and he might need even longer before doing any type of high-intensity physical activity, like playing basketball.

Four to six weeks into the recovery, athletes that suffer from heart attack can aim to exercise for 15-20 minutes at a time, according to Lisa Docherty, a Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Nurse for the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.

By this time, they can begin attending cardiac rehabilitation sessions, which are designed to help people maximize their potential and get them back to 100 percent.

Cardiac rehabilitation programs usually last about three months, per the CDC, but can take anywhere from 2 to 8 months depending on the nature of the heart attack.

From there, USC team doctors, James, and his family will need to determine the appropriate timeline for his return.

Ultimately, the best course of action will involve James beginning his college career by playing short spurts off of the bench before enabling him to play more minutes in a bigger role.

It’s also entirely possible that the best decision could be to allow James to redshirt his freshman season and miss the entire year altogether.

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