Bronny James, the eldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, suffered cardiac arrest Monday and is in stable condition.
"Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest," a James family spokesperson said in a statement. "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.
"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."
Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed through a spokesperson that it responded to a medical emergency involving "an adult male" at 9:26 a.m. PT Monday and sent paramedics to the Galen Center.
When reached by ESPN, USC Athletics declined to comment on the situation, citing student privacy concerns.
Cardiac arrest happens when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. Blood flow to the brain and other vital organs stops. Automated external defibrillators and CPR are most often used to immediately treat someone who has undergone cardiac arrest. According to the National Institutes of Health, cardiac arrest caused up to 450,000 deaths a year in the U.S. It's different from a heart attack, which occurs because of an artery blockage but the heart generally keeps beating.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who has resumed his career after suffering cardiac arrest during a "Monday Night Football" game last season, posted his support for James on social media Tuesday.
Prayers to Bronny & The James family as well. 🙏🏽 here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process.
— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) July 25, 2023
James, 18, is entering his freshman year at USC and is ranked 20th in the 2023 ESPN 100 rankings. He is the sixth-rated point guard in the class of 2023.
It is the second straight year the Trojans program has had a player suffer cardiac arrest.
Center Vincent Iwuchukwu, one of the top incoming freshmen in college basketball last season, suffered cardiac arrest on July 1, 2022, and was hospitalized for a few days. He returned to play for USC in January, appearing in 14 games.
James was set to begin his collegiate career overseas as USC men's basketball was preparing to leave next week for an exhibition tour in Croatia and Greece.
Per NCAA rules, USC was granted 10 extra practice days to prepare for the exhibition tour that will include a series of matchups in Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Information from ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Myron Medcalf and Paolo Uggetti was used in this report.