USC Basketball: Is Bronny James' College Hoops Career Going To End Before It Can Start?

Let's hope not.

Matriculating USC freshman guard Bronny James, son of legendary Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James, collapsed after incurring a cardiac arrest during a Monday morning practice and had to be hospitalized in an ICU.

It was terrible news ahead of what had looked to be a particularly promising 2023-24 season for the Trojans, who will be adding the third-ranked freshman class in the nation to a USC team that finished with a disappointing 22-11 run and a Round of 64 exit last year.

In the short-term, we're happy that James is now out of intensive care and by all accounts appears to be somewhat on the mend.

However, things get a bit murkier in the long-term. Doctors will look to examine if James is at risk of suffering further health complications if he continues to play. 

A lot of that research starts with identifying the root cause of the cardiac arrest. Chest pressure, oversized heart muscles, physical exhaustion, coronary heart disease, and even a novel coronavirus infection could be the culprits. 

If James has an irregular heartbeat, that could be a major deterrent to his basketball outlook. As you'll no doubt recall, seven-time All-Star power forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge was compelled by doctors to retire initially in 2021 due to an irregular heartbeat, before subsequently un-retiring and playing one final, largely ineffective season with the Brooklyn Nets in 2021-22.

It seems that Bronny James could be cleared to play should he not have any additional heart issues.