LeBron James Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Bronny James made his triumphant return to the basketball court four months after suffering cardiac arrest, and his dad, LeBron James, was there to cheer him on.
“Can’t even tell y’all how EMOTIONAL today was for me!” LeBron, 38, captioned Instagram pictures and videos of Bronny’s University of Southern California basketball game on Sunday, December 10. “I’m literally drained and all I can say is @bronny you’re simply INCREDIBLE!!”
The Los Angeles Lakers star sat courtside alongside his mother, Gloria James, and his 9-year-old daughter, Zhuri. Though the USC Trojans ultimately lost the game to the Long Beach State 49ers, LeBron wrote that Bronny “already won the ultimate goal/championship and that’s Life!!!” He added: “Proud of you kid and today you’ve given me more life! Thank you and I love you 🤎🙏🏾🤴🏾🥺.” (LeBron and his wife, Savannah James, also share son Bryce, 16.)
Bronny later shared his appreciation for his family during a post-game press conference. “I just want to say I’m thankful for everything,” he told reporters. “[I’m thankful for] Mayo Clinic, everything they helped me with, my parents, siblings, for supporting me through this hard time in my life. And yeah, I just want to give appreciation to everyone that’s helped me through this. Also, my coach, my teammates, all my other coaches — they’ve been with me since the start. And yeah, I just want to say I’m thankful for them.”
Back in July, Bronny was hospitalized after going into cardiac arrest during a USC basketball workout. “Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital,” a spokesperson for the James family told Us Weekly at the time. “He is now in stable condition and no longer in the ICU.”
Bronny was discharged from the hospital days later. One month after the incident, the James family revealed that Bronny’s cardiac arrest was caused by “an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated.”
Bronny James Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Bonny’s coach, Andy Enfield, shared that Bronny was “doing extremely well” at the start of USC’s school year in August, adding that he and the team were “hopeful that Bronny will return to the court.” He added: “We just have to be patient and take it step by step.”
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Amid his recovery, Bronny missed the team’s first practice of the season. “Bronny’s doing very well,” Enfield, 54, told reporters in September. “But we just can’t comment on anything medically. He’s going to class and doing extremely well in school, and we’re really excited for him.” Bronny was cleared to play by doctors last month.
LeBron James (2nd R) looks on from the stands towards Bronny James #6 of the USC Trojans during the first half against the Long Beach State 49ers at Galen Center on December 10, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Bronny already made a name for himself in the basketball world before joining the USC Trojans. Earlier this year, he was one of several top U.S. high school basketball players to compete in McDonald’s 2023 All-American Game. He announced his commitment to USC in May, one month after which it was announced he would sport the No. 6 on his jersey. The number is an homage to one of the numbers LeBron has famously worn throughout his career.