LeBron James speaks out for first time since son Bronny James' cardiac arrest
LeBron James shared what sounded like a positive update about his son's health, three days after 18-year-old Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest while practicing with his college basketball team at the University of Southern California.
The update, which LeBron posted to Twitter early Thursday, was the NBA star's first public statement since the incident.
(Twitter started rebranding itself at the end of July as it shifts to its new name, X, although the platform still allows users to "tweet.")
"I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers. We feel you and I'm so grateful," he wrote in the tweet.
"Everyone doing great," LeBron continued. "We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we're ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us!"
I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers. We feel you and I’m so grateful. Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your...— LeBron James July 27, 2023Bronny James was taken to a hospital following his cardiac arrest, a family spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. The incident happened during a practice held the previous day, and by the time the statement was issued, Bronny was in stable condition and no longer admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit, according to the spokesperson.
"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," the statement read. The university said at the time that it could not comment out of respect for student privacy.
News of Bronny's cardiac arrest sparked an instant outpouring of supportive messages from other athletes on social media, including NBA icon Magic Johnson, who said in a tweet that he and his wife were praying for the teenager's "speedy recovery." Damar Hamlin, the NFL player for the Buffalo Bills who suffered a cardiac arrest during a game earlier this year, wrote in another tweet , "Prayers to Bronny & The James family as well. here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process."
ESPN commentator Stephen Smith , Spanish soccer player David de Gea and the official Twitter account for the Miami Heat professional basketball team shared similar sentiments for Bronny and his family online.
Bronny was a five-star recruit to USC's division one basketball team, with the upcoming athletic season set to be his first with the university. He is a projected NBA pick for next year's NBA Draft. Circumstances surrounding the cardiac arrest on Monday have not been made public.
Reporting contributed by Christopher Brito
Emily Mae Czachor Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
