Bronny James cleared to play after heart issue

Dr. Jennifer Ashton discusses rates of cardiac health in young people and which warning signs to look out for in assessing heart health.

USC freshman Bronny James has been cleared by doctors to return to basketball just over four months after he suffered cardiac arrest at a summer workout.

The eldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will have a final evaluation with USC staff this week with the plan to resume practicing next week and a "return to games soon after."

"The James family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible medical team, the entire USC community, and especially the countless friends, family, and fans for their love and support. Fight On!" a family spokesperson said in a statement.

James, 19, suffered cardiac arrest on July 24 during a USC practice and was hospitalized for three days in Los Angeles. He underwent a procedure to treat a congenital heart defect.

The Trojans face No. 11 Gonzaga on Saturday in Las Vegas. USC hosts Long Beach State on Dec. 10 before traveling to play at Auburn on Dec. 17.

James has been participating with the team in pregame warmups on the court. He warmed up for the first time with his teammates before USC's 81-70 win over Brown on Nov. 19.

"It was great," USC basketball coach Andy Enfield said. "He went through warmups with the team. He's a big part of our program and our team. He's a terrific teammate.

"We look forward to hopefully one day getting him back on the court, but when that day is, that's not my decision. We're going to be patient and go through the process."

The 6-foot-3 guard starred in high school at Sierra Canyon, just north of Los Angeles. He is part of USC's highly touted freshman class that includes fellow McDonald's All-American guard Isaiah Collier (the No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class, per ESPN).