The game Bronny James grew up playing almost cost him his life.
In July 2023, James suffered a cardiac arrest while at practice at the University of Southern California, and the sports world worryingly waited to hear if the son of one of the most beloved athletes in the world had passed away.
Thankfully, everything turned out to be okay and Bronny returned to the court that season. But now, nearly a year after that scary afternoon, the newest Los Angeles Laker is revisiting that day.
During a new interview with Men’s Health, the 20-year-old opened up about the health scare and how continues to impact his life. “My days aren’t normal anymore,” he told the outlet. “I still feel like I’m getting back, I’m getting back to where I was.”
When asked if he was worried if he would ever play again after the health scare, he shared, “At the point when it happened, there were a whole bunch of categories that what had happened could fall under, so yeah. There were a whole lot of emotions, but… I got real on top of my routines to get back to where I was. I had to do breathing exercises and stuff. It was a total reset. I have to stay on top of my heart medications.”
Although Bronny has found a way to overcome his physical ailments, there are still plenty of outside noises that hope for the young man to fail.
While several NBA fans supported the Lakers decision to draft Bronny in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, many hated it, claiming it was a case of nepotism taking away an opportunity from a player who truly deserved it.
Now with the season just weeks away, those screams for and against Bronny will only get louder. Will he be able to handle it?