In late July, USC freshman guard Bronny James, son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, experienced cardiac arrest during an offseason workout. Nearly five months later, James is set to return to competition to make his much anticipated collegiate debut.
When James was discharged from the hospital, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group issued a statement that shared that he was fully conscious, neurologically intact and stable upon his arrival at the medical center, adding that following discharge, his workup was ongoing.
Days after the news of James' cardiac arrest first surfaced, The Sporting News spoke with a cardiologist who shared that the workup would have an integral role in determining the next steps in James' recovery to return as the purpose of said workup would be to find the cause that resulted in such an event occurring.
Here is what has been shared regarding the cause of Bronny James' cardiac event.
MORE: A timeline of Bronny James' recovery from cardiac arrest to basketball return
Bronny James cause of cardiac arrest
The likely cause of Bronny James' cardiac arrest was identified as being a congenital heart defect, based on initial and follow-up evaluations.
According to the above report and a statement from the James family, James underwent initial testing at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. His follow-up evaluations came at the Mayo Clinic and the Atlantic Health-Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey.
Here's what the statement from a family spokesperson reads:
After a comprehensive initial evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center led by Dr. Merije Chukumerije and follow-up evaluations at the Mayo Clinic led by Dr. Michael J. Ackerman and Atlantic Health/Morristown Medical Center led by Dr. Matthew W. Martinez, the probable cause of Mr. James’ sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) has been identified. It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated.
We are very confident in Bronny’s full recovery and return to basketball in the very near future.
As explained by Dr. Scott Ceresnak, the cardiologist who spoke with The Sporting News, this follow-up testing typically includes a panel of genetic testing of the patient's family members to get an idea of whether or not a patient is genetically predisposed to cardiac events.
Determining the cause of the cardiac event was the first step as it made for an outline to create a plan to ramp up James' action to facilitate his return to competition.
What is a congenital heart defect?
As outlined by the American Heart Association, "a congenital heart defect results when the heart, or blood vessels near the heart, don’t develop normally before birth. Such defects result when a mishap occurs during heart development soon after conception — often before the mother is aware that she is pregnant."
The word "congenital" means existing at birth, meaning the cause of James' cardiac event was not brought on by anything specific, but rather a result of a heart abnormality that has been present since he was born.
Neither the James family nor the medical professionals who evaluated Bronny James disclosed his specific congenital heart defect. The American Heart Association outlines that there is a wide range of congenital heart defects, which affect around 40,000 births per year.
Cardiac arrest vs. heart attack
Cardiac arrest is a very different type of cardiac event than a heart attack.
A cardiac arrest is when the heart is not pumping blood adequately to provide blood to the entire body. During cardiac arrest, blood isn't supplied to the body as a result of the heart not beating the way it is supposed to.
A heart attack, which is extremely unusual for patients under the age of 21, occurs when there is a blockage in one of the blood vessels supplying the heart.
Cardiac arrest is also rare in young people but it occurs within 1 in 35,000 to 40,000 NCAA athletes annually. Cardiac arrests are more common in young Black males, meaning James is a member of the demographic most impacted by sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.
Cardiac arrest recovery time
The recovery time for athletes who experience sudden cardiac arrest is addressed on a case-by-case basis.
For each athlete who experiences sudden cardiac arrest, the diagnosis of the cause is a major determinant in a timeline for recovery and potential return to athletics. Some diagnoses carry greater risk with a return to competition, while other diagnoses permit a return to play.
After experiencing the cardiac event on July 25, Bronny James returned to the floor to do non-contact work less than four months later. On Nov. 30, he was fully cleared to return to basketball activities, meaning his timeline to a full return took just over four months.
MORE: Could LeBron James miss a Lakers game to watch Bronny's college debut?
Can Bronny James play basketball after cardiac arrest?
Bronny James can play basketball after cardiac arrest.
His clearance to return to action is a product of the diagnosis, which provided a clear understanding of the cause and how to prevent such an event from occurring in the future.
Last year, one of James' USC teammates, Vincent Iwuchukwu, suffered a cardiac arrest during an offseason workout but made a full recovery and returned to competing collegiately six months later with the aid of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a device that is implanted to make sure the heart is functioning properly at all times.
It is unclear whether or not James underwent a similar procedure to have a device implanted but it is often the solution used to mitigate risk of a similar event moving forward.
