Bronny James’ cardiac arrest won’t affect his basketball career at all, says Shaq’s son, Shareef O’Neal, five years after his own open-heart surgery
- Bronny James went into cardiac arrest during a USC workout last month
- Shareef O’Neal battled his own heart problems as a freshman at UCLA in 2018
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Shareef O’Neal, son of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, believes Bronny James’ cardiac arrest will not affect his basketball career.
Bronny, son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, suffered a cardiac arrest last month during basketball practice with his team at the University of Southern California.
Shareef told TMZ Friday that he has been in touch with the 18-year-old since leaving hospital and revealed he was fine.
“He’s good,” O’Neal said.
He added that he doesn’t think Bronny’s future on the field will be affected.
Bronny James’ cardiac arrest will not affect his basketball career, Shareef O’Neal believes
Bronny (far right) has known Shaq (left) and son Shareef (left, almost right) for years
“I don’t think it will affect anything,” he said.
Shareef battled his own heart problems as a freshman at USC’s crosstown rival, UCLA, but still managed to embark on a professional basketball career. The LA native currently plays in the NBA minor league.
Shareef did not go into cardiac arrest, but was diagnosed with a heart problem by UCLA staff before undergoing open-heart surgery and serving out his freshman season.
He eventually transferred to his father’s alma mater, LSU, before going unselected in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Bronny was recently spotted in Minnesota with dad LeBron when the pair visited the Mayo Clinic.
The Mayo Clinic is one of the top hospitals in the United States, with campuses in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida.
Shareef O’Neal had open heart surgery in 2018 while a freshman at UCLA
Bronny went into cardiac arrest last month during basketball practice with his USC team
Bronny is on the road to recovery from his cardiac arrest, doctors told parents LeBron and Savannah, who are currently unconcerned about his burgeoning basketball career.
“If Bronny can never play basketball again, so be it,” a source close to the family told DailyMail.com. “But those decisions are a long way off.”
Bronny, an 18-year-old freshman basketball player at USC, was preparing for an upcoming 10-day exhibition tour of Greece and Croatia when he went into cardiac arrest at the Trojans’ Galen Center. He was immediately resuscitated and rushed to a nearby hospital, and has since been stabilized and released from intensive care.
Bronny was one of the top recruits in the country last year before opting to stay in LA by attending USC. The Trojans also received a commitment from Isaiah Collier, who was the high school’s best player last season.