LeBron “Bronny” James Jr.’s University of Southern California basketball coach, Andy Enfield, is hopeful he’ll be back in the game soon.
“The good thing is he’s doing extremely well and he’s in class right now. And we all love him,” Enfield, 54, said in a Monday, August 28, update, according to the Associated Press. “I think everybody is hopeful that Bronny will return to the court. We just have to be patient and take it step by step.”
Enfield went on to note that it is his and the team’s “goal to support Bronny in any way we can academically, athletically, and be patient with how things develop in his return.”
Bronny, 18 — who is the eldest child of LeBron James and his wife, Savannah James — was rushed to the hospital on July 25 after suffering cardiac arrest during a basketball practice. At the time, a spokesperson for the James family told Us Weekly that Bronny was “in stable condition and no longer in the ICU.”
The spokesperson continued: “LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes.” (The couple also share son Bryce, 16, and daughter Zhuri, 8.)
Bronny, who is currently a freshman at USC, was discharged from the hospital two days later. “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,” Dr. Merije Chukumerije, the consulting cardiologist who worked with Bronny, said in a statement at the time.
Bronny has stepped out with his family several times since being discharged, from going out to dinner with his parents and siblings to attending a Drake concert with LeBron, 38, in Los Angeles on August 21.
The James family revealed on Friday, August 25, that Bronny’s cardiac arrest was caused by “an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated.”
While it is currently unknown whether Bronny will be cleared to compete in the 2023/2024 USC basketball season, Enfield went on to call the young athlete a “terrific basketball player,” adding, “We all think there is a big upside in his game and he can help our team win.”
Over the years, Bronny has followed in his famous father’s sports footsteps. In March, he participated in the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game, which sees the top U.S. high school basketball players go head-to-head in an all-star match.
Bronny announced he would be joining the USC Trojans via Instagram in May. The team later revealed Bronny would sport the No. 6 on his jersey, an homage to one of the numbers LeBron has worn throughout his career.
