Bronie James suffered a heart attack due to a congenital heart defect

New USC guard Broni James, son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, is expected to return to the court “in the very near future” after suffering cardiac arrest during a workout in July, the James family said in a statement Friday.

The probable cause of Bronnie James’ cardiac arrest was a congenital heart defect, which was determined after an initial evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and follow-up evaluations at the Mayo Clinic, according to the family’s statement.

“It is a congenital heart defect of anatomical and functional significance that can and will be treated,” James’s family said in their statement. “We are very confident in Bruni’s full recovery and return to basketball in the very near future. We will continue to provide updates to the media and respectfully reiterate the family’s request for privacy.”

James’ cardiac arrest occurred nearly a year to the day the Trojans’ center Vincent Iwochokwu collapsed during practice due to a heart condition the previous summer.

James, who arrived at USC in May as a five-star player, was expected to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft next summer and possibly play for his father at the next level.

The Trojans are expected to compete for the Pac-12 title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Along with the arrival of James, USC brings back veteran Boogie Ellis and added Isaiah Collier, who was ESPN’s #1 recruit in the class of 2023.