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    • What happened to the Lakers’ rookie?
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    What happened to the Lakers’ rookie?

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

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    Bronny James made history alongside his father, LeBron James, during the NBA preseason. They are teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers after the franchise used a second-round pick on Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft and on Oct. 6 became the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game together.

    But the start of the 2024-25 regular season also represents another recovery milestone for Bronny James. He is just 15 months away from suffering a cardiac arrest during a practice last July, and the incident continues to affect him as an NBA player today -Newbie.

    “My days are no longer normal,” Bronny James said in a Men’s Health magazine cover story. “I still feel like I’m coming back, I’m getting back to where I was.”

    So what happened to the eldest of LeBron James’ three children? With Bronny James set to make his regular-season debut with the Lakers as early as next week’s opener, here’s what you need to know about the life-threatening medical scare that makes his arrival in the NBA all the more remarkable:

    BEHIND THE SCENES: What will Bronny James call LeBron on the basketball court? It won’t be “Dad.”

    Bronny James cardiac arrest: what happened?

    Bronny James suffered cardiac arrest during a USC offseason workout on July 24, 2023 and was hospitalized in Los Angeles for three days.

    The James family announced on August 25 that doctors had determined that Bronny James’ cardiac arrest was caused by a congenital heart defect. LeBron James later told reporters that his son underwent surgery as soon as a diagnosis was made. The family said Bronny James was cleared to play basketball again on Nov. 30 and made his USC debut on Dec. 10.

    In a scene from the Netflix documentary “Starting Five,” released earlier this month, LeBron James is shown in the USC locker room taking a photo with the staff member who he says performed CPR on his son, when he suffered a cardiac arrest. James called her a “lifesaver.”

    “They are the reason Bronny is alive now and smiling and successful and doing what every 19-year-old should do – which is pursue his dream,” James said.

    “It’s crazy with kids, if they love and want something, then that’s all that matters to them. As a parent, you think, “You had a cardiac arrest.” In his head he’s wondering, “Can I play ball again or not?” And if the answer is yes, “When can I play ball again?” I love that. “

    What Bronny James said about cardiac arrest

    Bronny James hasn’t often spoken about what he endured after his cardiac arrest or the aftereffects of a congenital heart defect. As such, the Men’s Health profile stood out for the insight James provided into how the incident changed his life.

    The 6-foot-2 guard admitted that he initially thought about whether his basketball career might be over. “There was a lot of emotion,” he said.

    “I got my routines back on track to get back to where I was. I had to do breathing exercises and stuff. It was a total reboot,” James added.

    He also mentioned that he needed to take heart medication and needed “my heart pillow.”

    “When I coughed it hurt a little bit,” James explained, “but you get this pillow and when you cough you just hold it so it doesn’t hurt.”

    Bronny James preseason stats

    Bronny James appeared in the Lakers’ first five preseason games. Here’s a look at his stats so far:

    • 12.4 minutes/game
    • 4 of 20 from the field
    • 0 of 7 from 3-point range
    • 6 rebounds
    • 4 blocks
    • 5 turnovers
    • 1 assist

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    Caradoc Wyn
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