LeBron James confirms that Bronny James plans to play this season

Bronny James plans to play for USC this season, his father, LeBron James, tells ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

In late July, James was taken to the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during a workout on campus. A congenital heart defect is the “probable cause” of the cardiac arrest, the family said in a statement.

“Bronny is doing extremely well,” James said during the NBA’s media day on Monday. “He has begun his rehab process to get back on the floor this season with his teammates and USC.”

After the incident, the former McDonald’s All-American arrived at the hospital conscious and stable and was discharged shortly thereafter. The family’s statement revealed that the condition is treatable, and the goal was to get Bronny back on the court in the “very near future.” He’s ahead of schedule, according to his father’s latest report.

“If he were to walk through the door right now, you wouldn’t even know what he had,” the Los Angeles Lakers star said.

Earlier this offseason in a statement from his consulting cardiologist, Dr. Merije Chukumerije, James was described as being conscious and stable by the time he arrived at the hospital. His care team is hopeful he will be back sooner, rather than later.

“Thanks to the swift and effective response by the USC athletics’ medical staff, Bronny James was successfully treated for a sudden cardiac arrest,” the statement read, via On3’s Nick Kosko. “He arrived at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center fully conscious, neurologically intact and stable. Mr. James was cared for promptly by highly-trained staff and has been discharged home, where he is resting. Although his workup will be ongoing, we are hopeful for his continued progress and are encouraged by his response, resilience, and his family and community support.”

Bronny James was a four-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon (CA) and came in as the No. 25 overall prospect in the nation from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 was the only service to rank James as a five-star as he came in as the No. 11-ranked player in the On3 player rankings.

USC begins its 2023-2024 season on Nov. 6 against Kansas State in the Hall of Fame Classic in Las Vegas. Whether Bronny is available for the season-opener will be determined closer to game time as he recovers through fall training.