USC teammate of Bronny James suffered cardiac arrest 1 year prior

Dec 7, 2019; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Sierra Canyon School guard LeBron James Jr (0) against Millennium High School during the 2019 Hoophall West basketball tournament at Chaparral High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Bronny James, a USC Trojans athlete and the son of LeBron James, suffered a cardiac arrest during basketball practice at the Galen Center on Monday morning. The 18-year-old spent a brief stint in the ICU before being cleared within 24 hours of his arrival at the medical facility.

The incident mirrored a similar ordeal that rocked USC basketball just a year prior — one that helped prepare the USC staff to better deal with James’ situation.

In July 2022, freshman forward Vincent Iwuchukwu collapsed while practicing with the team. The 7-footer began convulsing as assistant coach Eric Mobley attended to him. Members of the team detailed the events surrounding Iwuchukwu’s cardiac arrest in a February piece by LA Times’ Ryan Kartje.

“Just looking at his eyes, they were rolling back in his head,” Mobley told Kartje. “And I was like, ‘Oh shoot, this is something serious.’”

As Mobley stayed with Iwuchukwu, the other members of the USC staff all acted to get their freshman the help he needed. Head coach Andy Enfield and a graduate manager retrieved the automated external defibrillator. A different member of the staff alerted USC’s head athletic trainer Jon Yonamine. Another staffer made the crucial 911 call.

Within a single minute, the athletic trainers were able to converge beside Iwuchukwu as Mobley desperately pleaded for his player to regain consciousness.

“I just kept following that voice,” Iwuchukwu said. “He was saying, ‘Vince, come back! Come back! Come back!’ Then I heard, ‘Vince, don’t die on me!’ And I was like, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’”

Iwuchukwu was able to make a full recovery despite an initial prognosis that had doctors fearing the end of the youngster’s basketball career. Iwuchukwu was able to return midway through last season. He averaged 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14 games played.

James received the same urgency from the USC staff that they operated with during Iwuchukwu’s incident. One cardiologist Kartje had spoken to suggested that the team’s response to Bronny’s cardiac arrest was “masterfully executed”. Dr. Michael Ackerman, a genetic cardiologist with the Mayo Clinic, pointed to James’ early exit from ICU as evidence of that.

James is reportedly in stable condition. The details of his incident have not been made public out of respect for the James family.