LOS ANGELES – Bronny James, the son of National Basketball Association (NBA) great LeBron James, announced on April 5 that he is entering the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, less than a year after suffering a cardiac arrest.
The 19-year-old guard survived a health scare when he went into cardiac arrest in July and collapsed suddenly while training with his University of Southern California (USC) team.
He was hospitalised and placed in intensive care before being discharged three days later. He was given the green light to rejoin his team four months later.
“I’ve had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student and athlete,” Bronny said in an Instagram post. “I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal.”
He also thanked USC and their staff for their support in his freshman season. The cardiac-arrest episode and subsequent treatment for a heart defect sidelined him for five months and led to a relatively low-key season for a player who had been an All-American in high school, an annual honour bestowed upon an amateur athlete in the United States.
Bronny averaged 4.8 points a game in the 25 games he has played in.
Should he be taken by a team in the NBA Draft, it would raise the possibility of him being on the same court as his father, who will be 40 in December.
LeBron James, who passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar last season to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is unlikely to push for his son to join him at the Los Angeles Lakers.
Agent Rich Paul, who manages both LeBron and his son, told ESPN in March that LeBron would be “head over heels excited if that were to happen organically” but that “LeBron wants Bronny to be his own man”.
While he does not have a high points average, the Los Angeles Times reported a Western Conference executive as saying the things that he does well on court can help teams.
These include displaying good athleticism in transition, a high basketball IQ, strong character and a willingness to be an on-ball defender.
“(He’s got an) NBA body and is a solid athlete,” another Western Conference executive told LA Times. “Smart player, solid on-ball defender and can maybe become a solid perimeter shooter.”
AFP, REUTERS
